Unleashing Celo’s Proposal To Shift to Ethereum’s Layer-2

• CLabs, Celo’s blockchain developer, has initiated a proposal to Shift Celo from an independent layer-1 blockchain to Ethereum layer-2.
• This proposal is aligned with the purpose of many benefits, such as EVM compatibility and stronger security assurance.

There is no doubt that Ethereum is the most preferred blockchain when it comes to smart contract applications. However, many projects have come up in the recent few years that are assumed to be ‘Ethereum Killers,’ like Solana, Cardano, and Algorand. But, we can’t regret the fact that Ethereum is constantly evolving. 

Talking about the current scenario, the blockchain is focusing on layer-2 scaling solutions to provide users with a seamless experience and an interconnected blockchain ecosystem. Layer-2 is a collective term to describe Ethereum’s scaling solutions that expand the use cases and guarantee stronger security.

Many projects are interested in adopting Ethereum’s layer-2 to make their ecosystem more transparent and secure. CLabs, the developer company behind the Celo blockchain, is not an exception to this. CLabs has initiated a proposal to migrate Celo from an independent layer-1 blockchain to Ethereum layer-2.

What’s Inside The Proposal?

Launched on Earth Day 2020, Celo was the first blockchain to be mobile-first. The blockchain is carbon-negative and uses a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism. The platform announced the proposal on July 16, 2023, via twitter thread after months of research and initial discussion between Celo and Ethereum community members. 

The proposal has 131 votes in total, of which 128 are in favor, 2 are against, and one is abstaining. The proposal details an architecture where the Celo Blockchain will leverage the OP STack to become an Ethereum Layer-2. This proposal will significantly enhance the scope and growth of the Celo blockchain. 

In this proposal, CLabs also mentioned why it is shifting to L2 at this time. Off-chain data availability solutions like EigenDA and The OP Stack for optimistic rollups make CLabs believe that the time is now. These features will add significant value to its mission. 

Benefits of the Proposal To Celo’s Ecosystem

Shifting to Ethereum’s Layer-2 will provide stronger security assurance than Celo provides on its own. The shift will enhance compatibility, making it easier for developers to utilize the full gambit of Ethereum tools. It will also reduce gas fees and help enhance cross-community collaborations. 

Celo Developers will have access to a native bridge to Ethereum. This will increase the composability of Celo dApps with Ethereum. The gas fees will become significantly lower than those of other L2s such as Optimism and zkSync. The migration will foster Celo’s mission and accelerate the path toward it. 

Conclusion

Layer-2 provides an extra layer of security with high-scalability features. There is no doubt that these layer-2 solutions help blockchain projects give users a seamless experience. Celo, a layer-1 blockchain developed with a vision of global prosperity, generally requires L2 to achieve its mission. 

Ethereum, being one of the pioneers of Layer-2 solutions, is a perfect match for Celo’s vision. The migration of Celo from independent layer-1 to layer-2 promises a potential future for Ethereum as well as the Celo community. Layer-2 will create an interoperable ecosystem where users can easily connect with decentralized technology. 

However, it’s interesting to see what the future holds for Celo and Ethereum and where they will reach in the upcoming future.