Vitalik: Layer 2 should use the ZK system to achieve fast withdrawals as the next stage goal

According to Odaily Planet Daily, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin stated on the X platform that the fact that most mainstream Layer 2 protocols have met Phase 1 security standards is encouraging. The next key goal should be to enable fast withdrawals (less than an hour) through a zero-knowledge proof (ZK) system. He noted that this goal is even more important than Phase 2 upgrades.

Vitalik believes that achieving native withdrawal times of one hour in the short term and 12 seconds in the medium term will help solidify the Ethereum mainnet’s position as an asset issuance platform and the economic center of the ecosystem. To achieve this, it is necessary to abandon the OP (Optimistic) proof system, which typically requires withdrawals to wait for several days.

While historically, the immaturity and high cost of ZK technology have made Open Proof a more secure option, the situation is rapidly improving. Earlier this year, Vitalik proposed a "2-of-3" hybrid proof system strategy of ZK + Open Proof + TEE (Trusted Execution Environment), aiming to balance security, speed, and feasibility:

He added that other combinations such as ZK + ZK + OP or ZK + ZK + Security Committee are also feasible options. The key lies in achieving the core goal of "fast and secure." Once the above system matures, the only bottleneck in withdrawal speed will be the gas cost required to submit on-chain proofs.