đ The Stage System Explained đī¸ Building Our Safe Internet Highway
Stage 1: Limited Training Wheels
Live fraud/validity-proof system with user exit guarantees
- Permission-less fraud/validity proofs
- Users can force-exit without operator
- Security council can override (emergency only)
Stage 1: Learning to Ride
Like a bike with training wheels - safe but with helpers watching!
- Anyone can point out if something's wrong
- You can always get your toys back safely
- Grown-ups can help fix big problems
Stage 2: No Training Wheels
Fully autonomous rollup with no human intervention
- Only on-chain verifier advances state
- No security council overrides
- Complete trustlessness achieved
Stage 2: Riding on Your Own
Like riding without training wheels - completely independent!
- Only the computer rules matter
- No grown-ups needed to help
- Everything runs by itself safely
đ¯ Vitalik's Priority Stack đ¯ The Smart Builder's To-Do List
Establish fundamental security guarantees first
Fast fault-proofs or validity proofs for quick exits
Direct L1 inbox posting capabilities
L1 already provides the decentralization budget
Get good at the basics before trying fancy tricks
Like having a shortcut that takes less than an hour
So if someone blocks your path, you have another way
Because the main highway already has enough helpers
âī¸ Trade-offs Analysis âī¸ The Good and Not-So-Good Parts
| Concern | Centralized Sequencer Benefit | Cost/Risk | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| UX Speed | Instant pre-confirmations, 200ms blocks | Single point of failure | Force-tx inbox, quick exits |
| MEV/Sandwich | Encrypted mempool or SUAVE-style flow | Trust in single actor | Cryptographic builder API |
| Liveness | Easier to scale to 200+ TPS | Downtime if offline | Fallback to L1 posting |
| Governance | Clear accountability | Regulatory pressure | Emergency escape hatch |
| What We Care About | Good Things | Tricky Parts | How We Fix It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Being Fast | Super quick like lightning! | If it breaks, everything stops | Have a backup way home |
| Being Fair | No one can cheat or cut in line | Have to trust one person | Use secret codes to keep it fair |
| Always Working | Can handle lots of cars at once | Sometimes needs a nap | Use the main highway when tired |
| Following Rules | Everyone knows who's in charge | Authority figures might worry | Always have an emergency exit |
đ Base's Current Position đ Where Our Highway Is Now
OP-Stack Fault Proofs enabled with Security Council oversight
Started riding with safety helpers watching to make sure everything's okay
200ms blocks, 50 Mgas/s capacity, multiple proof systems
Making the highway super speedy and able to handle way more cars
Shared/decentralized sequencer mesh consideration
Maybe having lots of friends help direct traffic together
đŦ Key Takeaways đŦ What We Learned Today
Near-term Focus What's Happening Soon
Judge L2s on Stage 1 status and credible escape paths (one-hour exits or faster)
Look for highways that have training wheels and quick ways to get home (less than an hour!)
Medium-term Goals What's Coming Next
Watch for multi-proof systems and Security Council removal â true Stage 2
Look for highways that can check themselves and don't need grown-up helpers anymore
Long-term Vision The Dream for Later
Shared or leaderless sequencers matter once other scaffolding is mature
Having lots of friends help direct traffic becomes important after we get really good at everything else
đ Ready to Build? đ Want to Learn More?
Different rollups compete along this spectrum â giving users the chance to pick the mix of cost, speed, and sovereignty they need. Different internet highways offer different things â some are faster, some are safer, some cost less. You get to pick what works best for you!