EthCC Cannes Special Report: 10 Industry Trends Revealed at the Taiko Based Rollup Summit

As global developers gather in Paris for EthCC 2025, Taiko—Ethereum's first based rollup scaling solution—successfully held the second Based Rollup Summit in early July in Cannes, France, continuing to drive the exploration of Ethereum's scaling future.

Key figures from the Ethereum Foundation, Celo, SSV Network, Boundless, and other ecosystems engaged in in-depth discussions around based rollup technology, preconfirmation mechanisms, and the ever-evolving Ethereum ecosystem.

Here are 10 key takeaways from the summit:

1. Preconfirmations are everywhere— even when buying coffee

Taiko's Chief Operating Officer Joaquin Mendes opened the summit with a relatable example, emphasizing that preconfirmation is not a foreign concept but a mechanism we use every day.

"Preconfirmation has always existed; you use it even when you buy a cup of coffee."

Mendes elaborated on how the preconfirmation mechanism works and how it enhances the transaction experience on Taiko, laying the groundwork for understanding its critical role in Ethereum's scaling.

2. The future of ZK: Instead of competing on technology, focus on user needs

Boundless CEO Shiv Sankar shared his views on the future of zero-knowledge technology, emphasizing that what truly matters is not technological competition but whether it can create value for users.

"The key is to understand what users really need—then use ZK technology to meet those needs."

He pointed out that Web3's main competitors are not other chains but traditional tech giants like Amazon. The real challenge lies in understanding user behavior and creating products they are willing to pay for.

3. URC integration makes it easy for validators to access based services

SSV Network CEO Alon Muroch introduced the Universal Registry Contract (URC) and explained how SSV lowers the registration threshold for validators through programmatic integration, facilitating their participation in based rollup services.

"Now, most transactions happen on L2, not on the Ethereum mainnet. This presents a huge opportunity for both validators and rollups."

The SSV client has integrated URC, allowing validators to register quickly without cumbersome processes, whether managing 10 nodes or 10,000 nodes, the process remains smooth.

4. Why can't Ethereum simply shorten block times, and why is the preconfirmation mechanism important?

Taiko CEO Daniel Wang addressed a common question: If the goal is a faster user experience, why not just shorten Ethereum's block time to 1-2 seconds?

"Taiko aims to compress block time from 12 seconds to below 2 seconds. But some may ask, why doesn't Ethereum do this itself?"

He pointed out that Ethereum currently has over a million validators, and sub-second consensus would impose extremely high hardware and synchronization requirements, likely compromising its decentralization and accessibility. Therefore, based preconfirmation is a more realistic and Ethereum-aligned solution.

5. What are the success metrics for defining based preconfirmation?

Several attendees collectively proposed key metrics for measuring the success of based preconfirmation:
For instance, a based rollup that is operational, with preconfirmation features integrated into the L1 proposer, and at least 20% of staked assets choosing to participate.

Additionally, reduced fees and improved user experience were also considered core signals for assessing the feasibility of the solution.

6. A future built for enterprises and privacy

Tomasz K. Stanczak, Co-Executive Director of the Ethereum Foundation, emphasized that the strategic focus for mainstream adoption should be on enterprise implementation and privacy protection.

"We are not building products directly for users. End users will access through Web2 platforms, while the underlying must be a truly trustworthy blockchain."

He believes that supporting enterprises and promoting compliant cooperation is the key pathway to unlocking global mainstream markets.

7. The story of Ethereum needs to be better told

Celo CEO Marek Olszewski posed a thought-provoking question:

"Are we attracting the wrong audience?"

He stated that to attract institutional investors and ordinary users, Ethereum needs to tell a clearer and more compelling narrative—not just as a "smart contract platform," but as an asset ecosystem that truly delivers value and returns.

8. Horizontal scaling is the only future for Ethereum's expansion

Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake clearly pointed out that Ethereum's vertical scaling has reached its limits, and the next step must be horizontal expansion.

"We must scale horizontally; there is no other choice. Even if we speed up by another second, it won't be enough."

He believes that shared sequencing and cheaper SNARK verification solutions will enable rollups to settle in every gap, thus moving Ethereum out of its "adolescence."

9. Booster Rollup: A new paradigm for scaling

Taiko co-founder and CTO Brecht Devos introduced the new concept of Booster Rollup, emphasizing how this type of rollup differs from traditional solutions.

"The vast majority of contracts are deployed on L1, but each rollup can directly link to the mainnet."

This means that L1 contracts can be directly called on L2, achieving automatic scaling without sacrificing composability.

10. True scalability means internet-level usability

At the end of the summit, Kyle Rojas from Avail, Gastuvo from OpenZeppelin, and Harry Gao, co-founder of Luban, discussed a fundamental question: What are we really scaling for?

"Can we really scale to the size of the internet? Can we support the kind of user experience that ordinary users are accustomed to?"

They unanimously agreed that true blockchain scaling is not just about increasing TPS but building a globally usable system that upholds decentralization, censorship resistance, and security.

In conclusion

In addition to technical insights, Taiko's Base Rollup event also featured interactive experiences, allowing attendees to try out on-chain games built on Taiko technology, showcasing the fun and vitality of blockchain innovation beyond its "hardcore" aspects.

From preconfirmation mechanisms to Booster Rollups, these cutting-edge practices promoted by Taiko are sketching out a truly scalable, implementable, and global future for Ethereum—and this is just the beginning.