Ethereum Founder Buterin Proposes 30-Day Upgrade for Faster L2 Confirmations

Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin recently addressed the need to accelerate Layer 2 (L2) state confirmations during his speech at the "Web3 Scholar Summit 2025." He highlighted that current systems like OP and ARB require a week to confirm withdrawal status, making the process inefficient and costly for users who opt for instant bridges.

Buterin outlined four key steps to achieve faster L2 confirmation times and create a more integrated Ethereum system. The first step involves the ZK+TEE+OP "pick two out of three" design, which necessitates a 30-day upgrade window. This design aims to enhance the security and efficiency of L2 transactions by leveraging zero-knowledge proofs, trusted execution environments, and optimistic rollups.

The second step focuses on utilizing L1SLOAD, a segment that allows L2 to asynchronously read L1's opcodes without excessive forwardness. This approach ensures that L2 can access the necessary data from L1 without causing delays or bottlenecks in the system.

The third step is proof aggregation, where validators submit their proofs to an aggregator instead of confirming on-chain states separately. This method streamlines the validation process, reducing the time and resources required to confirm L2 transactions.

The final step is the implementation of low-latency validators. These validators are designed to process transactions quickly, further accelerating the confirmation times for L2 transactions.

Buterin's long-term goal is to achieve native synchronous communication between L1 and L2 in approximately 12 seconds. This would significantly enhance the efficiency and user experience of the Ethereum network, making it more competitive and attractive for various applications and use cases.