Vitalik Buterin Calls to Simplify Ethereum Protocol with New Design
By: crypto news|2025/05/05 00:15:01
0
Share
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed a major overhaul of the Ethereum base layer, aiming to simplify the protocol’s architecture for improved security, scalability, and long-term sustainability.Drawing on Bitcoin’s minimalist design principles, Buterin published a blog post titled “Simplifying the L1” on May 3, outlining a path to reduce the network’s technical complexity.Buterin’s vision targets Ethereum’s core layers—consensus, execution, and shared components—with a strategy to streamline processes that have grown increasingly convoluted since the network’s inception.Ethereum’s Complexity Is Slowing Progress and Raising RisksButerin argued that unnecessary complexity has led to bloated development timelines, higher maintenance costs, and increased risks of bugs.A central element of Buterin’s proposal is a reimagining of the consensus layer through a model called “3-slot finality.”This approach would eliminate intricate mechanisms such as epochs, sync committees, and validator shuffling.By reducing the number of active validators at any given time, the protocol could adopt a simpler and safer fork choice rule, easing the development of light clients and reducing attack surfaces.The effort to revamp Ethereum's consensus, historically called the beam chain, includes many opportunities to simplify consensus, while also increasing efficiency and security. pic.twitter.com/MIRpsbe48h— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) May 3, 2025On the execution side, Buterin proposed transitioning from the current Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) to a new, zero-knowledge (ZK)-friendly virtual machine based on the RISC-V architecture.RISC-V is a lightweight, open-source instruction set architecture known for its efficiency and simplicity.The move could accelerate ZK proof generation by up to 100x and make the protocol more auditable and developer-friendly.Buterin suggested maintaining backward compatibility during the transition by running legacy EVM contracts through a RISC-V interpreter.Buterin also called for protocol-wide standardization to minimize fragmentation.He recommended consolidating tools and formats—such as adopting a single erasure coding method, serialization format (SSZ), and tree structure—to reduce redundant systems and enhance developer tooling.“Simplicity is in many ways similar to decentralization,” Buterin noted, proposing that Ethereum adopt a “max line-of-code” principle for consensus-critical logic, much like the lightweight machine learning project Tinygrad.Under this approach, non-critical or legacy features would still be supported but moved outside the core specification.Ethereum Has ‘Huge Opportunity’ to Fix AI’s Centralization ProblemEthereum could play a key role in solving some of the most pressing problems facing artificial intelligence, according to Eric Connor, a former core developer of the blockchain.Earlier this month, Connor said Ethereum’s “biggest mainstream moment” could come through its integration with AI, as the sector struggles with centralization, opaque algorithms, and growing privacy concerns.“AI is plagued by black-box models, centralized data silos, and privacy pitfalls,” Connor noted, adding that Ethereum is uniquely positioned to address these issues.Last month, crypto venture capitalist Nic Carter of Castle Island Ventures pointed to two key issues undermining Ether’s value: the rise of layer-2 (L2) scaling networks and unchecked token issuance.He argued that “greedy Eth L2s” are siphoning off value from Ethereum’s base layer while giving little back.He also criticized the Ethereum community’s acceptance of excessive token creation, claiming that “ETH was buried in an avalanche of its own tokens. Died by its own hand.”The post Vitalik Buterin Calls to Simplify Ethereum Protocol with New Design appeared first on Cryptonews.
You may also like

The one who bought the Meta stablecoin Diem back in the day is a good friend of SBF.
The original idea was to combine a bank-licensed compliant entity with an underlying clearing network built over three years by a Silicon Valley giant, to enable seamless payments for everything you can imagine

February 25th Market Key Insights, How Much Did You Miss Out?
1. On-Chain Funds: $32M inflow to Ethereum this week; $54.9M outflow from Arbitrum
2. Largest Price Swings: $SN115, $RAVE
3. Top News: Tonight's Circle and NVIDIA earnings reports, AI narrative's impact on crypto market sentiment under scrutiny

Dragonfly Partner Haseeb Conversation: The AI Apocalypse is Far Away; Smart Contracts are Machine-Destined Law
In the world of crypto, the first lesson you learn is the importance of "HODLing" on.

IOSG: DeFi Upward, User Downward; Curator's New Paradigm of CeDeFi
As DeFi matures and grows more complex, the Curator is becoming a key intermediary connecting risk and users.

DDC continues to advance its Bitcoin reserve strategy, with a total holding of 2118 BTC
DDC Enterprise Limited has today announced the additional purchase of 50 bitcoins, increasing its total bitcoin holdings to 2,118 bitcoins. This latest acquisition marks DDC's seventh consecutive week of executing its bitcoin accumulation plan. Based on its current holdings, DDC is ranked 34th in the global publicly traded companies bitcoin holdings list.

From Mining Enterprise to Infrastructure Builder, Bitdeer Unpacks the Survival Logic behind BTC
Profit margins nearing the red line, miners are starting to use Bitcoin as fuel.

How Can Agentic Commerce Empower AI to Start Making Money?
The first wave of moneymaking AIs has arrived, which projects are worth paying attention to

February Correction: Is the Crypto Market Bottoming Out?
Based on historical experience, the most intense phase of this downturn may be about to end.

AI Payments Through the Lens of Fintech Giants: Five Levels, Stablecoin Infrastructure, Next-Gen Globalized Commerce
Stripe took fifteen years to turn seven lines of code into a business empire that powers 1.6% of the global GDP. Its next move is to define the next generation of global business rules.

Zuckerberg Retweets Stablecoin, Can Meta Win This "Comeback Game"?
Compared to the Libra era of 2019 when it attempted to disrupt the global financial system, the 2026 Meta is demonstrating a more stable and compliance-oriented approach.

Polymarket New Rule Release: How to Build a New Trading Bot
In 2026, a truly winning trading Bot is not the fastest taker, but the most excellent liquidity provider

Bitwise: The Institutional Wave is Here, So Why is the Market Still Sleeping?
There is a significant gap between the perceived cryptocurrency market and the actual cryptocurrency market.

WEEX LALIGA Partnership 2026: Where Football Excellence Meets Crypto Innovation
WEEX becomes official crypto exchange partner of LALIGA in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Discover how this partnership brings together football excellence and trading discipline.

AI Apocalypse, a massive short squeeze
AI is not the doomsday prophecy, but the dawn of a new era of abundance stemming from the collapse of cognitive cost.

The "Second Truth" of the Luna Crash: Jane Street Exits Ahead of Plunge
In the cryptocurrency industry that touts "decentralization," true asymmetry may have never disappeared.

Jane Street Market Manipulation, Stripe Considering Acquiring PayPal, What's the Overseas Crypto Community Talking About Today?
What Was Trending for Expats in the Last 24 Hours?
WEEX × LALIGA 2026: Trade Crypto, Take Your Shot & Win Official LALIGA Prizes
Unlock shoot attempts through futures trading, spot trading, or referrals. Turn match predictions into structured rewards with BTC, USDT, position airdrops, and LALIGA merchandise on WEEX.

a16z: Why Do AI Agents Need a Stablecoin for B2B Payments?
Smart contracts will be more like corporate entities, forming long-term relationships with their vendors and partners.
The one who bought the Meta stablecoin Diem back in the day is a good friend of SBF.
The original idea was to combine a bank-licensed compliant entity with an underlying clearing network built over three years by a Silicon Valley giant, to enable seamless payments for everything you can imagine
February 25th Market Key Insights, How Much Did You Miss Out?
1. On-Chain Funds: $32M inflow to Ethereum this week; $54.9M outflow from Arbitrum
2. Largest Price Swings: $SN115, $RAVE
3. Top News: Tonight's Circle and NVIDIA earnings reports, AI narrative's impact on crypto market sentiment under scrutiny
Dragonfly Partner Haseeb Conversation: The AI Apocalypse is Far Away; Smart Contracts are Machine-Destined Law
In the world of crypto, the first lesson you learn is the importance of "HODLing" on.
IOSG: DeFi Upward, User Downward; Curator's New Paradigm of CeDeFi
As DeFi matures and grows more complex, the Curator is becoming a key intermediary connecting risk and users.
DDC continues to advance its Bitcoin reserve strategy, with a total holding of 2118 BTC
DDC Enterprise Limited has today announced the additional purchase of 50 bitcoins, increasing its total bitcoin holdings to 2,118 bitcoins. This latest acquisition marks DDC's seventh consecutive week of executing its bitcoin accumulation plan. Based on its current holdings, DDC is ranked 34th in the global publicly traded companies bitcoin holdings list.
From Mining Enterprise to Infrastructure Builder, Bitdeer Unpacks the Survival Logic behind BTC
Profit margins nearing the red line, miners are starting to use Bitcoin as fuel.