Yakovenko rejects L2 solutions and defends Solana’s L1 scalability

Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder of Solana (CRYPTO:SOL), recently sparked a debate on blockchain scalability by rejecting the need for Layer-2 (L2) solutions.

Yakovenko responded to Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH) builder rip.eth's argument that L2s provide faster, cheaper, and more secure solutions compared to Layer-1 (L1) blockchains.

According to rip.eth, L2 networks avoid the high costs and consensus risks of maintaining a full-fledged L1.

However, Yakovenko disagreed, stating that L1 blockchains can achieve scalability without the complexity introduced by L2 solutions.

"There is no reason to build an L2. L1s can be faster, cheaper, and more secure," he said.

Yakovenko also pointed out that L2s rely on the data availability stack, fraud proofs, and multisigs of L1s, which introduces additional security risks.

He believes these trade-offs make L2s less efficient in the long run.

The debate over L1 versus L2 efficiency expanded when a user, Marty McFly, raised concerns about blockchain scalability as on-chain data grows.

Yakovenko explained that Solana generates around 80 terabytes of data per year, which he considers manageable in a business context but large for individual storage.

Regarding the management of unused storage, Yakovenko clarified that Solana plans to offload historical blockchain data to decentralised storage providers like Filecoin (CRYPTO:FIL).

Yakovenko's opposition to L2 solutions comes at a time when Ethereum is experiencing a shift in its transaction fee model, with L2 adoption helping to reduce costs for users.

This trend raises questions about whether L1 blockchains alone can meet all scalability needs.

At the time of reporting, the Solana (SOL) price was $140.17.