Solana Co-Founder Slams Layer-2s, Calls Them Redundant and Less Secure

Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko has taken a strong stance against layer-2 (L2) blockchain solutions, arguing there's no need for them when layer-1 (L1) blockchains can be faster, cheaper, and more secure. According to Yakovenko, L2s face limitations due to their dependence on slower L1 data availability layers and must rely on complex fraud proofs and multisig upgrades, which introduce additional security risks.

Yakovenko emphasized that Solana's architecture eliminates the need for L2s entirely. He responded to concerns over blockchain data storage by noting Solana only generates around 80 terabytes of data per year—well within modern storage capabilities. In his view, creating an L2 without intrinsic value is unnecessary when projects can simply launch tokens directly on a performant L1 like Solana.

Earlier this month, Yakovenko doubled down, claiming Solana directly competes with every Ethereum L2. However, this competition does not extend to Ethereum’s own mainnet. He believes having multiple L2s is redundant, given the limited number of truly valuable smart contracts. "If one L2 supports parallel execution, it could consume all the blobspace and cover all use cases," he argued, adding that there aren’t infinite meaningful contracts or execution environments.

The Solana co-founder has also previously criticized L2s as "parasitic" for taking priority transactions away from Ethereum’s base layer. His remarks come as Ethereum's transaction revenue continues to slump—down 95% from its 2021 peak—fueling the debate over whether the L2-centric roadmap is sustainable in the long run.

With Solana’s continued push to streamline blockchain infrastructure and reduce fragmentation, Yakovenko’s anti-L2 stance reflects a broader vision of maximizing efficiency and scalability at the base layer.