When we look at the history of technology, we often see the same patternnsystems that become overly complex in an attempt to solve their limitations. The early days of computing were marked by the rise of mainframes, and as demand grew, we saw a shift to distributed systems. At first, the complexity of distributed networks seemed like the answer, yet over time, it introduced its own set of challenges. Similarly, we saw this with the rise of the internet, where protocols and standards proliferated, often complicating the experience for the end user.
In a way, Ethereum’s scaling problem is no different. Layer 2 solutions are being hailed as the way forward, but they are ultimately just another layer in a system already struggling with complexity. The introduction of rollups, state channels, and plasma chains mirrors the same trend we’ve seen historically—piling solutions on top of one another without fully addressing the underlying issues of scalability, user experience, and system security.
We may look back in the future and realize that while we patched up scalability, we overlooked a more fundamental problem—the increasing complexity and difficulty of navigating these decentralized ecosystems. Whether any Layer 2 projects are trustworthy in the long run remains to be seen, but history suggests that trust in these solutions often fades as complexity grows.
