Authors: David C, William M. Peaster; Translated by: Deng Tong, Golden Finance
Vitalik Buterin's writing enthusiasm is high this year, with 25 posts published on his blog as of 2024.
Notably, his latest article is part of a series titled 'The Possible Future of the Ethereum Protocol', with each article delving into a major aspect of the Ethereum roadmap:
Part One: The Merge: What Further Improvements Can Ethereum PoS Make
Part Two: The Surge: Vitalik: How the Ethereum Protocol Should Evolve in the Surge Phase
Part Three: The Scourge: Vitalik: Key Goals of Ethereum in the Scourge Phase
Part Four: The Verge: Vitalik: The Possible Future of Ethereum The Verge
Part Five: The Purge: Vitalik: The Possible Future of the Ethereum Protocol—The Purge
Part Six: The Splurge: Vitalik: The Possible Future of the Ethereum Protocol—The Splurge
Not surprisingly, these are some of the most fundamental writings we have seen throughout Ethereum's history; that is to say, there is still a lot of information to understand here. Before delving into these articles, or even while diving into them, you may find that understanding the key points of each major upgrade helps to better grasp Vitalik's technical writings on the Ethereum roadmap.
To this end, here is a quick start guide to help you grasp the basics of each major upgrade.
The Merge
This upgrade was completed in 2022, marking Ethereum's transition from Proof of Work (PoW) to Proof of Stake (PoS), reducing energy consumption by 99% and enhancing network security through staking. However, Vitalik Buterin stated that upgrades related to The Merge are ongoing.
The goal moving forward is to accelerate transaction confirmation speeds, reducing wait times to 4 seconds. Vitalik stated that another goal related to The Merge is to lower the staking requirement from 32 ETH to 1 ETH, allowing more people to participate and help secure the network.
By accelerating confirmation speeds and making it easier for everyone to stake, Ethereum will become more decentralized without compromising its security.
The Surge
The purpose of the Surge is to make Ethereum faster and more scalable, aiming to process over 100,000 transactions per second (TPS). This will be achieved by optimizing layer 2 and improving data storage technologies.
An important part of the Surge is EIP-4844, which will be introduced in the Dencun upgrade in early 2024, adding 'blobs'—new block space for storing L2 data.
Next, the Pectra upgrade is expected in 2025, during which PeerDAS will enhance how Ethereum manages these blobs, increasing network bandwidth while keeping costs low. Data compression also helps reduce transaction sizes, further improving aggregation efficiency.
These upgrades will make Ethereum more scalable while maintaining decentralization and security.
The Scourge
Scourge addresses a significant challenge: the risk of centralization in Ethereum's staking and block creation processes.
Currently, block building (the process of selecting which transactions to include) favors big players who use advanced algorithms to earn more money. This may lead to transaction delays or manipulation, which is detrimental to Ethereum's decentralization goals.
To address this issue, Ethereum plans to break down block building tasks into smaller, more manageable parts. A proposal called inclusion lists will allow smaller validators to ensure certain transactions are included in blocks, thereby reducing the power of large block builders.
Additionally, ongoing research into encrypted mempools aims to enhance security by hiding transaction details until they are confirmed. The mempool is a waiting area for transactions before they are added to blocks. Currently, anyone can view these pending transactions, allowing block builders to reorder them for profit (a practice known as MEV, or Maximal Extractable Value). With an encrypted mempool, transaction details will be hidden until confirmation, reducing the opportunity for manipulation.
Moreover, Ethereum is looking for ways to reduce staking rewards to prevent excessive concentration of wealth in the hands of a few large validators. These joint efforts aim to maintain Ethereum's decentralization and protect users from exploitation.
The Verge
Currently, running a node requires storing hundreds of GB of data, which may be a barrier for many users. The Verge aims to change this by introducing a 'stateless client' that does not require storing all data. Instead, they will rely on cryptographic proofs (Verkle trees or STARK) to validate the blockchain.
A stateless client means that even mobile phones or basic laptops can fully validate Ethereum. This will greatly expand who can help run and protect the network, making it more decentralized. In the long run, Ethereum's goal is to use cryptographic proofs to validate entire blocks, so even low-powered devices can quickly confirm that everything on the blockchain is correct.
The Verge also considers replacing Verkle trees with more future-oriented alternatives to give Ethereum quantum resistance, ensuring the network can withstand emerging technologies like quantum computing.
The Purge
Over time, the Purge plan will make Ethereum leaner and simpler.
As blockchains evolve, they tend to accumulate more and more data that each node must store, making it increasingly difficult for new nodes to join the network. Purge addresses this issue by reducing the need for nodes to retain all historical data and unused protocol features.
One of the goals of Purge is historical record expiry, where old data (such as transactions and accounts) is stored in a distributed manner, similar to how torrent networks operate. Each node does not store all past transactions but only keeps part of that history, while other nodes store other parts. This way, Ethereum can remain secure and decentralized without requiring nodes to have massive storage to join the network.
Another goal of Purge is state expiry, addressing the growth of 'state data' such as account balances and contract storage. This involves automatically deleting or archiving unused data over time, making it easier to manage Ethereum's long-term storage needs.
Additionally, the purpose of Purge is to clean up old, rarely used network features and simplify the code to maintain Ethereum's efficiency and accessibility.
The Splurge
Splurge is the 'finishing work' phase of Ethereum, focusing on various improvements that don't quite fit into other categories but are crucial for enhancing Ethereum's user experience and technical robustness.
One of the main goals of Splurge is to optimize the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) (the core computing engine of Ethereum) to make it faster and safer. This includes features like account abstraction, allowing users to create flexible, user-friendly accounts with advanced security options. Splurge is also committed to improving the transaction fee mechanism to keep costs stable and fair, even with fluctuating network demand.
Additionally, Splurge is continuing to explore advanced cryptographic technologies that can make Ethereum more resilient to future technological changes (such as quantum computing). These upgrades aim to build a future-proof Ethereum, ensuring it remains a reliable platform for decentralized applications in the long run.
Summary
These six major upgrade phases are the pillars of Ethereum's development as a meticulously architected, multi-layered system that balances innovation with practicality. These phases are not isolated but interwoven, with each upgrade balancing current needs with the future of the network.
Through this layered approach, Ethereum is adjusting itself to be an excellent foundation for applications and interactions on a global scale—we all look forward to the types of online applications and interactions we have yet to imagine. All the while, the intentional design of the network will ensure that Ethereum remains adaptable, inclusive, and resilient.
