Several layer-2 rollup teams claim full decentralization is imminent. This includes Linea, zkSync, Arbitrum, and Optimism.
Ethereum layer 2s are scaling solutions. They compress and validate transactions on separate networks.
"Stage 2 decentralization" is the final milestone. It would make censorship nearly impossible on these networks.
Linea founder Nicolas Liochon expects most L2s to reach Stage 2 "within the next few years". His team plans a testnet with new decentralization features "in the coming months".
Anthony Rose of Matter Labs predicts Stage 2 "over the next two to three years". He foresees consolidation in the space.
Optimism co-founder Karl Floersch believes the move to Stage 2 will be "swift and decisive". He cites the open-source nature of blockchain development as a catalyst.
Steven Goldfedder of Arbitrum claims they are "very, very close" to Stage 2. The final step requires community approval to remove certain emergency powers.
Some experts are less optimistic. Metis co-founder Kevin Liu sees challenges in token-based governance systems. He believes "pure decentralization" is not achievable soon.
Vince Yang of zkLink points to low user demand and financial disincentives as obstacles. His team plans to improve decentralization by using the Celestia network.
The concept of decentralization stages comes from Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin. He outlined three stages in a 2022 post.
L2Beat, a blockchain analytics platform, classifies L2 networks based on Buterin's criteria. Buterin argues rollups should reach Stage 1 by end of 2024.
Recent controversy arose when Linea paused withdrawals and censored an attacker's address. This sparked debate about the pace of L2 decentralization.