Vitalik Buterin Endorses Base as a Model for Secure and Scalable Ethereum Layer 2 Growth

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has offered a rare and powerful endorsement of Coinbase’s Base network, positioning it as an exemplar for how Layer 2 blockchains should operate in practice.

Vitalik Buterin’s praise highlights Base’s dual strengths

In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on 23 September, Buterin highlighted how Base embodies the ideal balance between usability and Ethereum’s fundamental security guarantees. He argued that while the platform does incorporate some centralised mechanisms designed to speed up transactions and simplify user interactions, it diverges starkly from traditional exchanges or custodial services because it does not assume control over users’ assets.

Instead, withdrawals and the overall security of funds remain firmly tied to Ethereum’s Layer 1 infrastructure. This structural safeguard ensures that user assets cannot be seized or manipulated by the operator—a crucial differentiator in an industry repeatedly shaken by exchange collapses and crypto heists.

Stage 1 designation strengthens legitimacy

Buterin pointed to analytic platform L2Beat’s tiered framework for assessing the maturity and security standards of Layer 2 projects. Within this framework, Base qualifies for “Stage 1”—a critical milestone where systems are considered resilient enough that no single organisation, not even the entity building it, can exert unilateral control over user funds.

As part of L2Beat’s Stage 1 requirements, any security override requires a 75% vote from a security council, with at least 26% of decision-makers being fully independent from the Layer 1 management organisation. This prevents censorship or theft through concentrated council influence, meaning that Base functions not as a custodian but as an extension of Ethereum’s trust model.

“Stage 1 means that a security council with a 75% vote can override the on-chain code,” Buterin noted. “However, stage 1 also requires that a quorum-blocking portion of the council sits outside the managing organisation. Hence, unilateral control is technically impossible.”

Currently, Base sits among only eight industry projects recognised under this stringent “Stage 1” categorisation, reinforcing its secure standing and enhancing overall confidence in Ethereum’s growing Layer 2 ecosystem.

Why the definition of “non-custodial” matters

Buterin pushed back against the idea that labels like "non-custodial" are simply branding terminology. Instead, he argued that Ethereum’s smart contract architecture ensures that Layer 1 retains ultimate authority over funds. This means operators on Layer 2 chains such as Base do not have the capacity to misappropriate assets or block withdrawals, even amidst outages or disputes.

This technical underpinning provides a practical guarantee that aligns with Ethereum’s decentralised philosophy. For developers, investors, and regulatory stakeholders, this distinction is significant, particularly in light of high-profile collapses of custodial platforms that left users unable to recover billions in lost assets.

The safeguards Buterin pointed to are not speculative theories. They are “already coded into Ethereum’s foundation,” ensuring that trust remains transparently secured on the base layer.

Transaction growth cements Base’s dominance

Buterin’s nod comes at a time when Base is rapidly becoming one of the most active Layer 2 networks. New data shared by L2Beat highlights that the chain is processing around 160 transactions per second (TPS), with nearly 360 million transactions completed in the past month alone.

Beyond throughput, Base now commands nearly $15 billion in total value locked (TVL)—placing it second only to Arbitrum, which holds approximately $20 billion. That metric represents a dramatic rise in on-chain liquidity and underscores the platform’s expanding importance across decentralised finance (DeFi) markets. Indeed, such explosive adoption is helping Coinbase’s solution carve out its position as a leading player amidst the evolving Layer 2 landscape.

Coinbase credibility driving adoption

Much of Base’s momentum derives from Coinbase’s deep involvement. As the largest US-regulated crypto exchange with an $85 billion valuation, Coinbase provides extensive technical support to the project alongside lending its brand’s credibility at a time when many crypto companies face regulatory mistrust. This backing has translated to heightened adoption rates among users who may view the Base ecosystem as substantially more reliable compared to unaudited alternatives.

The official endorsement from Buterin adds another layer of legitimacy—helping Base solidify its market position not merely as another Layer 2 but as a sustainable extension of Ethereum’s decentralised trust. For crypto professionals and innovators, this evolution resonates strongly with the wider conversation around crypto recruitment, cybersecurity, and the operational resilience of next-generation blockchain talent.

The ripple effect on blockchain recruitment and Web3 talent

Buterin’s comments hold consequences beyond technical validation—they also highlight the rapidly advancing demand for blockchain talent. With Base scaling quickly and competing at TVL levels once thought exclusive to frontrunners like Arbitrum, there is rising demand for:

• Security engineers who can design resilient models to maintain “Stage 1” safeguards
• Product managers able to ensure a seamless user experience while balancing decentralisation principles
• Web3 developers with expertise in Layer 2 frameworks, validators, and smart contract optimisation
• Compliance specialists prepared to liaise between enterprise players like Coinbase and international regulatory regimes

This aligns with broader trends we’ve seen in crypto recruitment and talent shortages, where projects building scalable infrastructure are facing an urgent shortage of skilled developers, engineers, and auditors.

As a blockchain recruitment agency, Spectrum Search has witnessed first-hand the surge in demand for Web3 recruitment services. Projects like Base, backed by industry giants and endorsed by Ethereum’s co-founder, raise the stakes further by making these roles mission-critical to the future of decentralised finance and Web3 adoption.

For those navigating their careers in blockchain—or for businesses scaling Web3 infrastructure—the message is crystal clear: the demand for crypto talent is intensifying at an unprecedented pace, reshaping the hiring landscape from entry-level engineers to specialised blockchain headhunters.