Pressure on Ethereum Foundation to Restrict Layer-2 Networks Threatens Social Fabric, Says Polygon Co-Founder

A segment of the Ethereum community is urging the Ethereum Foundation to make decisions that could potentially disrupt the entire social structure of the smart contract network by imposing restrictions on Ethereum's layer-2 (L2) networks, as stated by Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal. Nailwal expressed his concerns during an episode of Cointelegraph's Chain Reaction show on March 28, highlighting the pressure and negative sentiment towards L2 networks during the current market cycle, particularly with the subdued price action of Ether (ETH). Emphasizing the importance of Ethereum's survival for the success of layer-2s, Nailwal cautioned against pressuring developers based on short-term price movements, as it could lead to decisions that harm the social cohesion of Ethereum. The Polygon co-founder commended Vitalik Buterin's leadership within the Ethereum Foundation, attributing him as a key figure in maintaining the unity of Ethereum's ecosystem and attracting talented developers to build on top of the network. Nailwal also discussed the distinction between settlement layers and execution layers in blockchain networks, highlighting the potential for Ethereum's base layer to benefit from the proliferation of execution layers and promote long-term growth and interoperability within the ecosystem.