Solana co-founder challenges layer-2s, disputes their relevance

Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko has challenged the need for layer-2 solutions, arguing that a well-optimized layer-1 can sufficiently meet speed, cost, and security requirements.

The debate began when rip.eth posted on X that there is “no reason to build a L1” since layer-2s offer better speed, security, and cost efficiency without the burden of new consensus mechanisms. He cited Eclipse, an Ethereum (ETH) layer-2 that makes use of the Solana (SOL) Virtual Machine, as an example of an optimized scaling approach. 

In response to the lost, Yakovenko argued that a well-optimized layer-1 can be more secure, faster, and less expensive, pushing back on the idea that layer-2s are the best scaling solution. He noted that layer-2s frequently introduce security risks through fraud proofs and multisigs and rely on a slow-moving data availability layer.

When asked about blockchain data limits, he dismissed concerns, saying Solana generates about 80TB of data per year, too little to build a business around but too much for an individual to store easily. On storage, he clarified that Solana’s ledger is separate from its state and can be offloaded to decentralized storage providers like Filecoin.

Yakovenko’s comments differ sharply from those of Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin, who sees layer-2s as essential for scaling. Speaking at the recent Digital Asset Summit, Lubin made the case that Ethereum is the best platform for rollups because of its security. He reaffirmed his conviction that Ethereum’s future is in layer-2 expansion.

Layer-2s are already making their debut on Solana, despite Yakovenko’s doubts. Solaxy, a new scaling solution that raised $19 million in February, processes transactions off-chain before settling them on Solana’s mainnet to reduce congestion.

The need for a layer-2 like Solaxy arises from the significant growth of decentralized finance and memecoins on Solana, which has strained the network’s capacity and occasionally caused outages.

Although the upcoming Firedancer upgrade is expected to increase Solana’s throughput to one million transactions per second, congestion remains an issue. Some developers believe that to avoid congestion and ensure long-term scalability, layer-2 solutions will still be needed.