--- A single Vitalik tweet just snapped Ethereumâs scaling narrative into focus: the rollup-centric roadmap is over, and a new path is here. Ryan and David break down what Vitalik actually said (and what he didnât), why stage 2 plus rollup interop proved far slower than anyone hoped, and why L1 scaling, powered by ZK, may be Ethereumâs real reset button in 2026. Along the way, they unpack the quiet death of the âL2s are Ethereumâ meme, the communityâs whiplash reaction, and what differentiated âgen 2â L2s must do to earn their place in the alliance.
0:00 The Rollup-Centric Roadmap: 2020 â 2026 1:26 What Vitalik Actually Said 3:15 The Understated Bombshell: L1 Scaling + ZKVM 6:28 âBranded Shardsâ Are Over 8:12 âL2s Are Ethereumâ Is Dead (But Not the Alliance) 12:29 Vitalikâs Follow-Up: Differentiation Wins 15:51 The Reaction: Praise, âI Told You So,â and Anger 18:23 The NATO Analogy for L2s 20:51 The Messaging Risk: Does Ethereum Push Rollups Away? 23:25 Why Did It Take So Long to Say This Out Loud? 30:09 Was Modular Wrong? What We Thought vs What We Got 33:20 Ryanâs Retrospective: Wins + Three Missteps 38:01 Davidâs Take: ZKVM Precompile = âManhattan Projectâ 39:57 The Cost: Wasted Time, Misallocated Capital, Leadership Tension 45:39 What Happens Next: Base Leaving, New North Star, Anyoneâs Game 51:04 Signs the Pivot Is Working
