It all started with an unplanned coffee chat-which eventually turned into a starting point for a mission, as Redouane, the chief economist at GOAT Network, sat down with Eric, the CIO, and Stephen, the CTO, all of whom are firm believers in Bitcoin. The chat begins with a rant about the confusing use of the term “Layer 2. It seems like everyone is claiming to be Bitcoin Layer 2 these days, but in reality, most projects don’t follow the core spirit of Bitcoin at all. They label themselves as “Bitcoin L2” for marketing purposes, but the underlying layer relies on federated multisignatures, external consensus mechanisms, or high-trust architectures. This makes “Bitcoin L2” a diluted and abused term.
So, over cup after cup of cold coffee, a mission took shape: we needed to define what truly qualifies as a “Bitcoin Native Layer 2” network. They didn’t want to write a specification that was limited to a technical path, but rather a standard that was based on principles – a strict code that was built on Bitcoin’s values. That’s where this manifesto begins.
This proposal establishes two levels of standards:
I. Core Must-Haves
Without these conditions, a project cannot call itself Bitcoin Native Layer 2.
Trustless Settlement on the Bitcoin Mainnet Bitcoin Native L2 must anchor state to the Bitcoin Mainnet frequently - ideally per block, at least once every few hours. Settlement must include proof of validity (e.g., ZK proof) and state submission, not just a Merkle root or signature. Delayed settlements will severely weaken user security and system trust.
Dispute resolution must be anchored to the main Bitcoin network Users must be able to challenge fraudulent or nefarious behavior directly on the main Bitcoin network. There must be no reliance on federal arbitration, MPCs, multi-signatory committees, or centralized approvals. Final decisions must be enforced by Bitcoin miners, not off-chain intermediaries.
Mandatory Exit Mechanisms Without Third-Party Permission Users must be able to unilaterally exit the system at any time. The exit path must remain open even if all Sequencer nodes disappear. No custodian, no approval process required.
Proof-Based Trust-Minimizing Bridging Mechanism Bridges must be unescrowed and enforceable on Bitcoin by proof. Design is based on honest assumptions of 1-of-n or 0-of-n, with no reliance at all on multi-signatory, federated, or human governance. BTC should never be exposed to third-party trust.
Continuously linear and resilient L2 network must remain operational in the event of node downtime, censorship, or attacks. This needs to be achieved through a decentralized Sequencer architecture. All roles should be open for participation or easily replaceable, and the system must be self-resilient.II Optional Enhancements (Nice-to-Haves)
These features are critical for scalability and user experience, but do not replace core trustworthiness.
Fast and Efficient Opt-Out Mechanisms The standard opt-out process should be completed within hours, not days. In the event of a dispute, the system should also respond quickly and resolve challenges.
Native BTC-denominated Gas Mechanism Using BTC (rather than bridging ETH or altcoin) as the Gas asset enhances trust and ecological consistency.
Economic Incentives for Honest Behavior Sequencer, Prover, Challenger, etc. should be rewarded for honest behavior. Cheating should be penalized (e.g., pledge assets are reduced).The ethereum L2 ecosystem has flourished because the community has gradually reached a consensus on the definition of a Rollup (e.g., the specification of an OP Rollup versus a ZK Rollup). Similarly, Bitcoin’s native L2 network needs to coalesce to a common standard with high integrity.
If a system is unable to do the following:
frequently anchor to the Bitcoin mainnet, allow users to challenge fraud on the mainnet, and
operate transparently and minimize trust dependencies, then it is not Bitcoin-native.
Then it’s not bitcoin native layer two. It’s just a sidechain with a new name.
These principles constitute a set of “living standards” – born of discontent, refined by collaboration, and driven by the spirit of Bitcoin. Some existing systems are already very close to these standards, such as Lightning, which already meets several of them, and ZK Rollup, which is progressing. However, this standard does not favor any technological path; it is technology-neutral. As long as your Rollup, access road or bridge meets this standard, it passes; if it doesn’t, all the marketing in the world won’t help.
This is an invitation to all builders, investors and users.
Let’s defend the integrity of the term “Bitcoin Layer 2”. Set clear, principled boundaries, and don’t disguise centralized systems as L2. Honesty is fundamental, and if you’re making a service or sidechain, tell the truth.
As Redouane, Eric and Stephen realized the other day, there are two ways forward: one is to turn “Layer 2” into an empty brand that any system can easily label, and the other is to turn it into a promise, a badge of fairness and trust. We choose the latter.
Bitcoin has earned people’s trust, and its extensions must be worthy of that trust. Let’s define Layer 2 in terms of “truths” rather than “trends,” and together we can build a future worthy of Bitcoin.
