Original author: @shmula
Original translation: zhouzhou, BlockBeats
Editor's note: This article discusses the changing role of Ethereum in the development of technologies such as Rollup, L2, and L3. As projects launch their own chains through Rollup as a Service (RaaS), the focus of teams gradually shifts towards products, users, and tokens, rather than alignment with Ethereum. The author uses the metaphor of the "abandoned mother" to illustrate how Ethereum is gradually becoming the "mother" of projects that deviate from it, with ETH as an asset being diluted in the process. The author poses the question: If Ethereum does not want to become this "mother," how should it respond to this change?
The following is the original content (reorganized for better readability):
The Ethereum community has spent a lot of time discussing whether Rollup, L2, and L3 have extracted value from Ethereum L1. In the past 24 hours, @ameensol, @haydenzadams, @wmougayar, @siobh_eth, @TrustlessState, and others have deeply engaged in this discussion.
My view is that any action that moves transactions and activities away from Ethereum L1 is essentially a value extraction act.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. But I believe that, in the long run, it will indeed affect ETH as an asset.
Let me explain from two perspectives: one is an analogy with Toyota, and the other is a real-world Rollup project I was involved in as a consultant.
When I worked at Toyota, I learned a principle from my lean mentor called Genchi Genbutsu (現地現物). It means: "Go and see for yourself." Don't just rely on data dashboards or second-hand information; directly experience things yourself. This concept has profoundly influenced the way I analyze ecosystems like Ethereum.
Genchi Genbutsu teaches you to avoid falling into the trap of abstraction.
Data is certainly helpful, but without first-hand practical experience, data is incomplete.
I have been involved in the launch of several Rollup projects, and each time I witnessed the same change. And this is where it gets interesting.
Here, I want to introduce a concept: "Orphaned Mother."
In philosophy, this term refers to disciplines like physics, mathematics, and economics, which originally emerged from philosophy.
Philosophy nurtured them, but as its "children" grew up, they left it, ultimately making it an abandoned mother.
With the emergence of each new Rollup, L2, and L3, Ethereum gradually becomes that "orphaned mother."
A few years ago, I provided advice for a Rollup project focused on a specific domain. The team members were all staunch believers in Ethereum—I met them back at the ETH San Francisco event in 2017.
At first, they were idealists.
They were using Rollup-as-a-Service providers like @gelatonetwork, @alt_layer, @conduitxyz, or @Calderaxyz. These companies were excellent and served their clients well.
The whole process was very simple; it could be done in less than 30 minutes: you had your own chain.
It was from that moment that everything began to change.
After launching, their mindset changed. They were no longer just builders; they became entrepreneurs.
Their focus shifted to products, users, community, and growth. They were fully invested in their own chain and tokens.
As for whether to remain aligned with Ethereum? It was no longer a top-ten priority.
This is not a criticism of them, but rather a reflection of reality.
When you operate your own chain, your mindset changes. You optimize your own flywheel, your own incentive mechanisms, your own tokens.
Ethereum becomes that abandoned mother.
Returning to Genchi Genbutsu—go and see for yourself.
Launch your own Rollup, use a RaaS, try to develop it, issue your own tokens. Experience it firsthand, and you will see how your mindset shifts from being an ETH-maxi to that of a token founder. You will feel this change.
Let me summarize:
(1) Launching your own chain transforms you from a builder aligned with Ethereum into a business owner.
(2) This owner mentality makes ETH optional.
(3) Don't just take my word for it; verify it yourself.
This is neither good nor bad; it simply is. But if Ethereum wants to avoid becoming the "orphaned mother" in a modular stack, it needs to confront this dynamic head-on.
In this model, ETH as an asset will indeed be diluted. The question is: how should we respond?
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