Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently shared an ambitious vision to simplify Ethereum’s base protocol, with the goal of making the network more efficient, secure, and accessible. Drawing inspiration from Bitcoin’s minimalist design, Buterin outlined his proposals in a blog post titled “Simplifying the L1,” published on May 3. His vision aims to enhance Ethereum’s architecture, encompassing consensus, execution, and shared components.
According to Buterin, achieving simplicity is crucial for Ethereum’s resilience and long-term scalability. He acknowledges that while recent upgrades such as proof-of-stake (PoS) and Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge (zk-SNARK) integration have improved Ethereum’s robustness, the increasing technical complexity has resulted in bloated development cycles, increased costs, and heightened risks of bugs. Buterin stated:
“Historically, Ethereum has often not done this (sometimes because of my own decisions), and this has contributed to much of our excessive development expenditure, all kinds of security risk, and insularity of R&D culture, often in pursuit of benefits that have proven illusory.”
Ethereum Eyes ‘3-Slot Finality’ to Simplify Consensus
A primary focus of Buterin’s proposals is Ethereum’s consensus layer, particularly the introduction of a “3-slot finality” model. This model seeks to eliminate complex components like epochs, sync committees, and validator shuffling. Buterin writes, “The reduced number of active validators at a time means that it becomes safer to use simpler implementations of the fork choice rule.” Further improvements involve adopting more straightforward fork choice rules and utilizing Scalable Transparent Argument of Knowledge (STARK)-based aggregation protocols to simplify network coordination.
On the execution layer, Buterin suggests transitioning from the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) to a more efficient and ZK-friendly virtual machine like RISC-V. This transition could yield up to 100 times performance improvements for zero-knowledge proofs, vastly simplifying the Ethereum protocol. RISC-V is an open-source instruction set architecture (ISA) noted for its minimalistic design philosophy, promoting high efficiency and ease of implementation.
To maintain backward compatibility, Buterin proposes operating legacy EVM contracts on-chain via a RISC-V interpreter while simultaneously supporting both virtual machines during a transitional phase.
Protocol-Wide Standardization: A Call to Action
Buterin is not just advocating technical simplification; he is also calling for protocol-wide standardization. He suggests adopting a uniform erasure coding method, serialization format (favoring Simple Serialize (SSZ)), and a unified tree structure. These changes aim to reduce redundant complexity and streamline Ethereum’s tooling and infrastructure. He states, “Simplicity is in many ways similar to decentralization,” proposing a “max line-of-code” target to keep consensus-critical logic as lean and auditable as possible. Non-critical legacy features could remain but be housed outside the core specification.
These proposals come at a time when Ethereum faces increasing competition from other blockchains, as highlighted during the LONGITUDE by Cointelegraph event on May 2. Alex Svanevik, CEO of Nansen, remarked on Ethereum’s declining dominance among Layer 1 blockchain networks, stating, “If you’d asked me 3–4 years ago whether Ethereum would dominate crypto, I’d have said yes; but now, it’s clear that’s not what’s happening.” This context emphasizes the urgency of Buterin’s vision and the need for Ethereum to adapt in a rapidly evolving ecosystem.
In conclusion, Vitalik Buterin’s vision for a simplified Ethereum not only aims to take cues from Bitcoin’s successful model but also addresses key challenges that have emerged as the network grows. As discussions continue, the Ethereum community must weigh these insights seriously to navigate the future landscape of blockchain technology.
