Vitalik Buterin Proposes Simplification of Ethereum Protocol for Enhanced Efficiency

According to Cointelegraph, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has advocated for simplifying Ethereum's base protocol to enhance the network's efficiency, security, and accessibility, drawing inspiration from Bitcoin's minimalist design. In a blog post titled “Simplifying the L1,” published on May 3, Buterin outlined a vision to restructure Ethereum's architecture across consensus, execution, and shared components. He emphasized that simplicity is crucial for Ethereum's resilience and long-term scalability, suggesting that the network could become as straightforward as Bitcoin within five years. Recent upgrades, such as proof-of-stake (PoS) and Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge (zk-SNARK) integration, have strengthened Ethereum. However, Buterin noted that technical complexity has resulted in bloated development cycles, increased costs, and heightened risks of bugs. He acknowledged that Ethereum's historical approach, sometimes influenced by his own decisions, has contributed to excessive development expenditure, security risks, and an insular R&D culture, often pursuing benefits that have proven illusory. A significant focus of Buterin's proposal is the consensus layer, with the introduction of the “3-slot finality” model. This model aims to simplify consensus by eliminating complex components like epochs, sync committees, and validator shuffling. The reduced number of active validators at a time would allow for safer and simpler implementations of the fork choice rule. Other proposed improvements include adopting Scalable Transparent Argument of Knowledge (STARK)-based aggregation protocols to decentralize and simplify network coordination. On the execution layer, Buterin proposed transitioning from the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) to a simpler, ZK-friendly virtual machine like RISC-V. This shift could offer significant performance improvements for zero-knowledge proofs and simplify the protocol. RISC-V, an open-source instruction set architecture, follows a minimalist design philosophy, using a small set of simple instructions for high efficiency and easier implementation. To maintain backward compatibility, Buterin suggested running legacy EVM contracts onchain via a RISC-V interpreter while supporting both virtual machines concurrently during a transitional phase. Buterin also advocated for protocol-wide standardization, proposing the adoption of a single erasure coding method, serialization format (favoring SSZ), and tree structure to reduce redundant complexity and streamline Ethereum's tooling and infrastructure. He likened simplicity to decentralization, suggesting Ethereum adopt a “max line-of-code” target to keep consensus-critical logic lean and auditable. Non-critical legacy features would remain but reside outside the core specification. Buterin's proposal comes as Ethereum faces increasing competition from other blockchains. During a panel discussion at the LONGITUDE by Cointelegraph event on May 2, Alex Svanevik, CEO of data service Nansen, noted that Ethereum's dominance among L1 blockchain networks has declined. Svanevik remarked that while Ethereum was expected to dominate the crypto space a few years ago, the current landscape shows a different reality.