Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has recently emphasized the importance of establishing a strong foundation for Ethereum’s layer-two (L2) scaling solutions. In his commentary, he outlined key priorities for L2 developers and highlighted the strategic approach to building secure and user-friendly protocols. While acknowledging the importance of eventually decentralizing sequencers, Buterin emphasizes that prioritizing core decentralization properties first, such as faster withdrawals and censorship resistance, will ultimately pave the way for a more robust and permissionless Ethereum ecosystem. He suggests focusing on achieving higher L2Beat stages, which measure the level of decentralization and trust minimization in an L2 network based on its design, upgradeability, and proof systems, before tackling the more complex issue of sequencing decentralization. This strategic approach aims to establish a secure foundation for scaling Ethereum while ensuring a smoother user experience and enhanced user safety within those networks.