Vitalik: New EVM Chains Should Be Innovative and Faithful to Ethereum, Avoid Blindly Copying

BlockBeats News, February 5th, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin posted, stating, "Currently, many newly created EVM chains simply replicate existing architecture or connect to Ethereum through a one-week delay optimistic bridge. This approach is similar to blindly copying Compound in governance, which is 'comfortable' in the short term but drains innovation in the long run, leading the ecosystem into a dead end. If a new chain does not have an optimistic bridge connection to Ethereum (i.e., a pure L1 alternative), the situation is even worse. What the ecosystem truly needs are projects that bring new features, such as privacy protection, application-specific efficiency, or ultra-low latency."

The form of "Ethereum connection" must match actual functionality. For example, prediction market applications can issue and settle markets on L1, manage user accounts, but transaction execution occurs on a Rollup or L2-like system, with L1 validating signatures and market state. Architectures deeply connected to L1 should be a priority consideration rather than mere formal bridges for recognition. Another type of "application chain" can verify algorithm execution on governance, social media, or gaming platforms, ensuring updates are authorized and executed according to pre-committed rules through technologies like STARK, providing algorithm transparency and minimizing trust, enabling economically unfeasible activities.

New projects should achieve two points: first, truly bring innovation, not just replicate existing EVM chains; second, align their public image with actual functionality. A project's claimed degree of connection to Ethereum should authentically reflect its technological and ecosystem dependencies, ensuring ecosystem interoperability and long-term value."