Ethereum's Quiet Upgrade Aims to Boost Speed and Reduce Validator Requirements

Ethereum is undergoing a “quiet” transformation that will help the blockchain go toe-to-toe with its faster rivals while reducing the strain on the network’s validators. On Tuesday, Ladislaus von Daniels, a researcher at the Ethereum Foundation, outlined the shift, which relies on a complex cryptographic technique called zero-knowledge proofs. The cryptography lets Ethereum validators — those running the software that underpins the network — skip much of the computation needed to check the blockchain’s state is correct. The impact? Validators will have much more bandwidth available, allowing them to process more transactions. It also means they can get away with using less powerful computers, reducing a key barrier to entry for hobbyist validators. “The idea is not new. But what is new is that it is now being engineered into Ethereum’s core protocol,” Von Daniels said. “There is a quiet but fundamental transformation taking shape in how Ethereum blocks are validated.” In recent weeks, Ethereum’s nonprofit foundation has u-turned on a longstanding plan to rely on so-called layer 2 networks to scale, and is now focused on upgrading the main blockchain to handle more transactions. Ethereum’s developers plan to achieve higher throughput using two main tools: zero-knowledge virtual machines, as outlined by Von Daniels, and Peer Data Availability Sampling, another big data storage and bandwidth-saving technique. It’s not the first time the potential of scaling Ethereum has been discussed in recent weeks. Last month, co-founder Vitalik Buterin claimed ZK virtual machines and PeerDAS have helped Ethereum solve the so-called blockchain trilemma. ZK development ramps up ZK proofs have been around since the 1980’s. In recent years, they’ve found fresh use among those building blockchains because they can vastly reduce the amount of data validators required to process, among other things. Normally, each validator must verify the data underlying thousands of transactions every minute. With ZK virtual machines, a single validator can perform the computation and send a proof that other validators can verify as correct. Arguably, the biggest benefit of this technique is that it becomes much easier for hobbyists to spin up and run Ethereum validators. “They no longer need to run a full execution layer and can sync within minutes,” Von Daniels said. “Proof verification replaces re-execution, and the hardware requirements drop accordingly.” Lowering barriers to running Ethereum validators is an important consideration. A bigger pool of validators spread out across the globe helps decentralise the network, making it more resilient. The ZK virtual machines are also beneficial to layer 2 blockchains like Arbitrum and Base; those building Ethereum execution clients, like Go Ethereum and Nethermind; and zkVM vendors, such as ZisK and openVM, Von Daniels said. Development is ramping up. Last month, the Ethereum Foundation published a roadmap for implementing ZK virtual machines. While there is no plan to include the feature in any upcoming upgrade, ZK virtual machines remain a key priority for the rest of the year. Tim Craig is DL News’ Edinburgh-based DeFi Correspondent. Reach out with tips at tim@dlnews.com.