Vitalik Buterin Demands Lightning-Fast L2 Withdrawals: ’Under One Hour or Bust’

Ethereum's co-founder drops the gauntlet on Layer 2 solutions—slow exits won't cut it in 2025's high-speed crypto economy.

The Need for Speed

Buterin's call to action targets the Achilles' heel of current L2 scaling: withdrawal times that leave traders twiddling thumbs while arbitrage opportunities vanish. No more 'good enough'—sub-60-minute settlements must become the norm.

Infrastructure Growing Pains

Current L2 bridges still rely on Ethereum's slower base layer for finality. Optimistic rollups? Seven days. ZK-rollups? Better, but not instant. The tech exists—now it's about implementation.

Wall Street Won't Wait

Traditional finance settles stocks in T+1. Crypto's supposed to be faster, yet some L2 withdrawals take longer than a bank holiday weekend. (But hey, at least we're not paying $25 wire fees—small mercies.)

The clock's ticking. Either L2s deliver near-instant exits, or they'll get left behind like 2021's NFT floor prices.

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.

Also Read: Ethereum’s Fusaka Upgrade Faces Delay Due To Coordination Issues