Ethereum's Buterin Aims to Simplify Network, Inspired by Bitcoin

Ethereum’s co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, has outlined a vision to simplify the Ethereum network, drawing inspiration from Bitcoin’s minimalist design. In a recent blog post, Buterin proposed new architecture and protocol-wide standards aimed at making Ethereum simpler, faster, and easier to maintain. The goal is to achieve a level of simplicity that rivals Bitcoin within the next five years.

Buterin highlighted the benefits of simplicity in protocol design, noting that a straightforward protocol is key to creating a credibly neutral and globally trusted base layer. He acknowledged that while recent upgrades such as proof-of-stake (PoS) and Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge (zk-SNARK) integration have enhanced Ethereum’s robustness, they have also introduced technical complexity. This complexity has led to longer development cycles, higher costs, and increased risks of bugs.

To address these issues, Buterin proposed replacing Ethereum’s Virtual Machine (EVM) with a new RISC-V architecture. This change aims to achieve radical efficiency gains in zero-knowledge proofs and make the network more scalable. The transition to RISC-V would involve using an open-source instruction set architecture that defines how software communicates with processors, adhering to a minimalist design philosophy. This shift could potentially make some operations up to 100 times faster and reduce on-chain execution costs by as much as 100X, while ensuring that existing smart contracts remain functional.

Buterin emphasized that the benefits of these proposed changes may not be immediately apparent in the short term. However, he believes that in the long term, the simplification efforts will be worthwhile. The co-founder acknowledged that historically, Ethereum has not always prioritized simplicity, which has contributed to excessive development expenditure, security risks, and an insular research and development culture. He hopes that by focusing on simplicity, Ethereum can become a more efficient and reliable network.

In the near term, Ethereum is scheduled to undergo its Pectra upgrade, which is set to enhance user experience, increase rollup scalability, and boost the upper limit for validator stakes. This upgrade is part of the ongoing efforts to improve the network’s performance and usability, aligning with Buterin’s vision of a simpler and more efficient Ethereum.