Ethereum News Today: Ethereum Aims for 10x Scalability with Buterin's Two-Tier Block Finality Proposal

Ethereum’s co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed a structural change that could significantly reduce block finality time and enhance network scalability [1]. In a blog post on August 1, Buterin outlined a new design that separates Ethereum’s block finality from its fork choice mechanism [1]. This decoupling aims to allow both functions to operate independently, potentially reducing the number of validator communication rounds required for block confirmation and thereby increasing throughput [1].

Under the proposed “two-tier” system, a smaller group of approximately 256 validators would be randomly selected to execute the LMD GHOST fork choice in real time, selecting the chain’s head at a faster pace. Meanwhile, the full validator set would handle block finality at a slower rate, ensuring security and irreversibility. This approach could enable the network to scale to as many as one million validators, significantly improving decentralization and network resilience [1].

A key advantage of the design is its flexibility. By allowing fork choice and finality to evolve independently, the system can be upgraded or modified in the future without overhauling core chain logic [1]. This modularity also simplifies inactivity leak management, ensuring that the fork choice layer continues to operate during network outages while finality is paused until stability is restored [1].

Buterin’s proposal remains in the research phase, and no official timeline has been set for testing or implementation. The Ethereum Foundation has emphasized the need for thorough community review and technical evaluation before any changes are deployed [1]. Meanwhile, Ethereum’s peer-to-peer layer is also seeing improvements, including the use of erasure coding techniques to reduce latency and enhance overall performance [1].

Justin Drake, another Ethereum researcher, has proposed complementary changes under a “Lean Ethereum” initiative, focusing on reducing complexity in execution, consensus, and data layers. This includes exploring quantum-resistant features such as zero-knowledge-powered virtual machines, which allow for secure on-chain data verification without exposing sensitive information [1]. These developments reflect a broader push to make Ethereum more efficient and future-proof.

Ethereum’s current price has shown mixed performance, trading at $3,526 as of the latest data. This represents a 4.7% decline in the last 24 hours but a 46% increase over the past month [1]. Analysts have identified the $3,500–$3,550 range as a key support level, with a potential breakout above $3,750 possibly triggering a move toward $4,000 [1]. U.S. spot Ether ETFs have also seen strong inflows in July, with $5.43 billion entering the space—a 369% increase from June—bringing total net assets to $21.52 billion [1]. Ethereum futures trading volume reached $223.6 billion, the highest in five months, with ETH and altcoins accounting for 83% of total futures market share [1].

The broader goal of these proposals is to position Ethereum for long-term growth, with a roadmap that includes scaling to 10,000 transactions per second and integrating quantum-resistant features [1]. Buterin’s proposal marks another step in Ethereum’s ongoing evolution, emphasizing the need for continuous innovation to maintain its competitive edge in the blockchain space.

Source:

[1] Ethereum News Today: Vitalik Buterin Proposes 10x Ethereum Scalability (https://www.ainvest.com/news/ethereum-news-today-vitalik-buterin-proposes-10x-ethereum-scalability-2026-2508/)