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A New Era for Ethereum: Simplifying the Network to Achieve Long-Term Resilience

In recent years, Ethereum has undergone significant changes to improve its scalability, security, and usability. However, despite these efforts, the network’s complexity has become a concern, leading to bloated development cycles, increased costs, and a higher risk of bugs. To address these issues, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed a radical change: simplifying the network to make it “as simple as Bitcoin” in the next five years.

The Problem with Complexity

Buterin argues that Ethereum’s current complexity is a major obstacle to progress. He cites the network’s tendency to prioritize ambitious initiatives over simplicity, which has led to a bloated protocol with numerous dependencies and complexities. This has resulted in development cycles taking longer, costs increasing, and the risk of bugs and security vulnerabilities growing.

To illustrate his point, Buterin notes that the average Ethereum developer spends 30% of their time dealing with protocol complexity, rather than focusing on building innovative applications. This not only slows down innovation but also drives up costs and increases the risk of errors.

A New Approach to Consensus

One of the core areas of focus in Buterin’s proposal is the consensus layer. He suggests adopting a 3-slot finality model, which eliminates complex components like epochs, sync committees, and validator shuffling. This would reduce the number of active validators at any given time, making it safer to use simpler implementations of the fork choice rule.

Buterin also proposes using Scalable Transparent Argument of Knowledge (STARK)-based aggregation protocols to decentralize and simplify network coordination. These protocols can help reduce the computational overhead of consensus processes, making the network more efficient and secure.

Simplifying the Execution Layer

Buterin’s proposal also targets the execution layer, where he suggests shifting from the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) to a simpler, ZK-friendly virtual machine like RISC-V. This move would offer 100x performance improvements for zero-knowledge proofs and significantly simplify the protocol.

RISC-V is an open-source instruction set architecture (ISA) used in designing computer processors. Its minimalist design philosophy emphasizes a small set of simple instructions for high efficiency and easier implementation.

To preserve backward compatibility, Buterin suggests running legacy EVM contracts onchain via a RISC-V interpreter while supporting both VMs concurrently during a transitional phase.

The Importance of Protocol-Wide Standards

Buterin stresses the need for protocol-wide standardization to reduce redundancy and complexity. He proposes adopting a single erasure coding method, serialization format (favoring SSZ), and tree structure to streamline Ethereum’s tooling and infrastructure.

He also suggests adopting a “max line-of-code” target similar to what Tinygrad does, keeping consensus-critical logic as lean and auditable as possible. Non-critical legacy features would remain but reside outside the core specification.

The Future of Ethereum

Buterin’s proposal is a bold attempt to simplify Ethereum’s complex protocol architecture and align it with Bitcoin’s minimalist design. If successful, this could lead to a more efficient, secure, and accessible network, ultimately achieving long-term resilience.

However, simplifying Ethereum’s protocol comes with significant challenges. It would require a massive overhaul of the network’s architecture, which could be time-consuming and costly. Additionally, there is a risk that simplifying the protocol could compromise its security or functionality.

A simplified Ethereum would be a game-changer for the cryptocurrency industry. By reducing complexity, Ethereum could become more accessible to developers and users, ultimately driving innovation and adoption.

Buterin’s proposal is a bold step towards achieving this goal. While there are challenges ahead, the potential benefits of a simplified Ethereum protocol are significant. As the network continues to evolve, it will be essential to prioritize simplicity, security, and usability to ensure its long-term success.

In the next five years, Ethereum has the potential to become as simple as Bitcoin, unlocking new opportunities for innovation and growth. It’s an exciting time for Ethereum, and we can’t wait to see the network’s evolution unfold.