Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin published an updated roadmap for the blockchain's protocol overhaul in a tweet on Saturday, following a recent gathering of Ethereum researchers in Berlin. Buterin described the 'Lean Ethereum' plan as the network's third major iteration after the 2022 Merge, stating it would replace 'almost every major piece of the protocol' over three to four years. The announcement comes as the Ethereum Foundation recently cut staff and tightened its budget, while previous Ethereum upgrades faced repeated delays before implementation.
Buterin Outlines Core Protocol Changes With Recursive STARK Proofs
The roadmap centers on changing how the network verifies itself. Instead of every node re-executing every transaction, Ethereum would verify a compact cryptographic proof of the chain using recursive STARKs, a form of zero-knowledge proof that Buterin wants 'enshrined' as a core protocol component. Buterin also outlined plans for simpler consensus with one or two-round finality, multidimensional gas pricing, and a shift beyond the EVM toward an instruction set such as RISC-V. The refreshed 'strawmap' draft roadmap was published at strawmap.org.
Ethereum Roadmap Prioritizes Quantum-Safe Cryptography and Privacy
Buterin stated that guarding against quantum computing threats has climbed the agenda, with cryptographically vulnerable components due to be swapped for quantum-safe alternatives. He noted that work on quantum-resistant 'blobs' is already months along. Privacy is now a 'first-class goal' rather than an add-on, factored into pieces like the mempool and the state tree, according to Buterin. He said the whole effort would rest on formal verification.
Protocol Plans 2TB Dynamic State With 100TB New Storage Type by 2030
Buterin sketched a 2030 network holding roughly 2TB of today's flexible 'dynamic' state alongside 100 terabytes of a new, more scalable but restrictive storage type. The new storage would be well suited to tokens, NFTs, and much of DeFi, though less so to complex contracts like decentralized exchanges. Rewriting an ERC-20 token onto the new storage would not be mandatory, Buterin said, but could cut its fees more than tenfold.
Hegotá Fork Precedes Lean Era With Glamsterdam Gas-Limit Increase
Buterin stated the coming Hegotá fork will likely be Ethereum's last before the 'Lean' era begins. A large gas-limit increase is expected at the nearer-term Glamsterdam upgrade, with further gains in capacity and speed over roughly five years. None of the changes arrive at once, according to Buterin's timeline. The roadmap follows discussions with client teams in Svalbard in April.
FAQ
What did Vitalik Buterin announce on Saturday?
Vitalik Buterin published an updated 'Lean Ethereum' roadmap on Saturday following a Berlin researcher meeting. He described it as the network's third major iteration after the 2022 Merge, with plans to replace 'almost every major piece of the protocol' over three to four years.
What are the core technical changes in the Lean Ethereum roadmap?
The roadmap centers on verifying the chain using recursive STARK proofs instead of every node re-executing transactions. Buterin outlined plans for simpler consensus with one or two-round finality, multidimensional gas pricing, quantum-safe cryptography to replace vulnerable components, and privacy as a 'first-class goal' factored into the mempool and state tree.
What is Ethereum's data storage vision for 2030?
Buterin sketched a 2030 network holding roughly 2TB of today's 'dynamic' state alongside 100 terabytes of a new, more scalable storage type suited to tokens, NFTs, and DeFi. Rewriting an ERC-20 token onto the new storage would not be mandatory but could cut its fees more than tenfold, according to Buterin.
