Celo: From Layer-1 Loner to Ethereum L2 Darling

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In a move that could only be described as a “dramatic about-face” 🎭, Celo, the blockchain platform that launched with the ambition (perhaps naiveté?) of being the “mobile-first” blockchain, has decided to join the Ethereum bandwagon.

Yes, you read that right. The once-proud layer-1 is now a humble layer-2, happily nestled under the wing of the mighty Ethereum. Apparently, one-second blocks and sub-cent transaction costs are simply not enough anymore. It seems even the most fervent believers in decentralization have succumbed to the siren song of “network effects.”

Celo announced this change on its favorite platform, X (formerly known as Twitter, because change is inevitable, isn’t it?). 🎉 They boasted about the “enhanced security and scalability” 🔐💪 that comes with being an Ethereum layer-2 protocol. According to Celo’s CEO, Marek Olszewski, the new system is “lighter, cleaner and faster.” 🤔 Perhaps the codebase is finally free of those pesky bugs that plagued the old days…

The move to an optimistic rollups implementation, based on the OP technology stack, is not without its critics. Still, Olszewski remains optimistic (pun intended!), claiming that Celo now has “deeper composability with Ethereum-native apps and protocols.”

Will this move to the Ethereum ecosystem finally be the key to Celo’s success? Only time will tell. In the meantime, we’ll be watching with bated breath (and a healthy dose of skepticism).

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2025-03-26 18:23