Long withdrawal times on Layer 2 networks are putting Ethereum’s security at risk—and Vitalik Buterin wants immediate change. In a detailed post on X, Buterin stressed the urgent need to reduce withdrawal times to under one hour.
He warned that long waits are pushing users toward “solutions with unacceptable trust assumptions,” including multisigs and MPCs. This, he said, “undermines the whole point of having L2s instead of fully independent L1s.”
The statement follows a major update from L2BEAT, a research platform tracking L2s. On August 7, it confirmed that Base, Optimism, Scroll, Unichain, Kinto, and Inco had passed new Stage 1 requirements.
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Buterin praised this milestone but called for an even more critical upgrade—fast, secure, and low-cost withdrawals. He believes Ethereum can become the “economic center of the ecosystem” if L2s drop withdrawal wait times.
ZK Proofs Set the Stage for Fast, Secure Exits
Against this background, to contain the problem, Buterin urged a shift from optimistic proof systems toward ZK proof systems able to validate transactions quickly but in a much more trusting way.
He further suggested a 2-of-3 hybrid model combining the ZK, OP, and TEE systems. According to him, “Two of three systems (ZK, TEE) are instant,” meaning withdrawals could be instant without compromising security.”
Moreover, Buterin pointed to the rising maturity of ZK-EVM proofs. “Formal verification on ZK proofs is also advancing,” he noted. However, he acknowledged cost challenges due to high gas fees for proof submissions.
Ethereum continues to benefit from these L2 developments. The token is trading at $4,047.92, up 5.90% in the last 24 hours. Buterin’s push for faster L2 exits may further boost user confidence and long-term adoption of Ethereum.