**Deck:** On-chain governance stripped admin control over Aztec's rollup contract, freezing the code in place and clearing the technical bar for L2Beat's top decentralization tier.
Privacy-focused Ethereum layer-2 Aztec said it reached Stage 2 on L2Beat, the highest decentralization rating the rollup tracker assigns. The milestone followed an on-chain governance action that revoked ownership of the rollup contract.
Aztec announced the change Monday afternoon on X. Revoking ownership made the contract code immutable, the network said, leaving no admin able to override the protocol and preserving an escape hatch through which users can always exit. Those three properties map directly to the conditions L2Beat sets for its top tier.
L2Beat's Stage 2 is the final rung on its maturity ladder, reserved for rollups fully governed by smart contracts rather than a privileged operator. The framework requires an immutable contract with no admin override, a permissionless proof system, and an exit window that lets users withdraw their funds if they object to an upgrade. L2Beat's project page lists Aztec at Stage 2.
Most rollups launch with what L2Beat calls training wheels: a multisig or security council that can pause the chain or push upgrades. Stage 2 removes that backstop. With ownership revoked, Aztec's rollup contract can no longer be changed by its deployers. The escape hatch is the user-side guarantee, a mechanism that lets holders withdraw to Ethereum even if the network's operators stop cooperating.
