Vitalik Buterin Hails Base’s 160 TPS Breakthrough as L2 Arms Race Heats Up Toward $20B Market

Base just scored the ultimate validator endorsement—Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is publicly praising the L2's blistering 160 TPS performance. This isn't just technical applause; it's a starting gun for the scalability wars.

The TPS Threshold That Changes Everything

When an L2 solution hits 160 transactions per second, traditional blockchain limitations start crumbling. Base's throughput isn't just beating mainnet—it's rewriting the rulebook for what decentralized networks can handle during peak demand.

Layer-2 Platforms Enter Hyper-Compete Mode

Every major scaling solution now faces impossible pressure to match Base's specs. The race isn't about minor upgrades anymore—we're watching teams completely重构 their architectures while VCs throw nine-figure checks at anything that smells like scalability.

The $20B Territory Becomes Battlefield

With Base demonstrating real-world capacity that actually justifies valuation hype, the entire L2 market cap projection just got serious. Forget speculative bubbles—this is infrastructure proving its worth before our eyes. Though let's be real—Wall Street still thinks 'layer-2' is a baking term.

Base didn't just optimize—it weaponized scalability. And every other chain just got served notice.

Base Stage 1

He explained that this approach fits within the Stage 1 criteria defined by analytics platform L2Beat, where even a network outage cannot compromise users’ right to reclaim their assets.

He stated:

“Stage 1 means that a security council with a 75% vote can override the onchain code. However, stage 1 also requires that a quorum-blocking (>=26%) portion of the council sits outside the org that is managing the L1. Hence, the org cannot unilaterally censor or steal via a security council vote, so they are not a custodian.”

Notably, L2Beat identifies Base as one of only eight projects that qualify for Stage 1 status, underlining Buterin’s claim that the chain functions as an extension of Ethereum’s trust model rather than a detached service.

According to Buterin, calling Layer 2s “non-custodial” is more than a branding exercise. Their security derives from Ethereum’s smart contract logic, which ensures Layer 1 ultimately controls the movement of funds.

This safeguard makes it impossible for operators to misappropriate assets or selectively block withdrawals. He stressed that these protections are not abstract theories but concrete technical pathways already written into Ethereum’s base layer.

Base dominance

Buterin’s endorsement comes as Base cements itself as one of the most active L2 networks.

Data from L2Beat shows the chain now handles around 160 transactions per second, amounting to nearly 360 million transactions in the past month.

In terms of total value locked (TVL), Base has also climbed to nearly $15 billion, second only to Arbitrum’s roughly $20 billion.

Much of this growth stems from Coinbase’s backing of the layer-2 solution. The $85 billion firm provides technical support and has extended its brand credibility as the largest US-based crypto exchange to Base.

This involvement has helped amplify Base’s adoption, making it a dominant player in the Layer 2 landscape.