Vitalik Buterin Calls for L2 Evolution as Ethereum Layer-2 Usage Drops 50% 📉
The Ethereum landscape is shifting! As of February 2026, data reveals a surprising trend: users are returning to the Ethereum Mainnet, leaving Layer-2 networks facing an "identity crisis."
Key Highlights:
The L2 Exodus: Monthly active addresses on L2s crashed from 58.4M to 30M, while Ethereum Mainnet active addresses surged by 41% to 15M.
Efficiency Gains:
With L1 transaction fees hitting all-time lows, the primary "selling point" of L2s (cost-saving) is fading. Users now prefer the superior security of the base layer.
Vitalik’s New Roadmap: Vitalik Buterin urges L2 projects to innovate beyond mere scaling.
He suggests focusing on:
Privacy-focused VMs (Non-EVM extensions).
Specific Use Cases: Social media, Identity, and AI integration.
Extreme Scalability that even a highly evolved L1 cannot handle.
Market Impact: Major L2 tokens like $ARB
and $ZK experienced 15-30% price corrections in January as the market re-evaluates the sector's value proposition.