Ethereum's Lead Developer, Vitalik Buterin, Advocates for a Consolidated Structure in Ethereum's Primary Network Architecture
Revamped Take on Ethereum's Simplicity Drive
In a recent post, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin stirred up conversation about the network's future by advocating for simplification of the base layer, Ethereum L1. He believes this move will enhance resilience and scalability. By emulating Bitcoin's straightforward design, wider participation, and lower development overhead becomes feasible, making Ethereum more robust.
A Simpler Protocol, Greater Accessibility
Buterin suggests achieving simplicity by standardizing sub-protocols as much as possible: there should ideally be one way of doing things across the consensus, execution, and other layers. His targets include erasure coding, serialization, and tree data structures. By consolidating sub-protocols, we can reduce redundant code, simplify the system, and strengthen security (tweet @VitalikButerin, pic.twitter.com/HIvYtORBtu).
Short-term costs are unavoidable, but Buterin argues that these investments are necessary for future benefits. According to him, the simplified design enables a more accessible and secure platform, offering clearer governance structures and fostering trust and efficiency.
Targeting Specific Complexities
Buterin has identified key areas within Ethereum that could benefit from simplification, including:
- Consensus Layer - The focus is on a three-slot finality mechanism, which eliminates committee shuffling and sync committees, requiring under 200 lines of code. This simplified model reduces potential vulnerabilities and increases transparency.
- Execution Layer - Despite the current Ethereum Virtual Machine's complexity, Buterin proposes a bold alternative: replacing it with a simpler, more efficient virtual machine. A streamlined VM would improve performance, reduce development friction, and offer a fresh foundation for smart contract execution.
- Shared Infrastructure - STARK-based aggregation protocols could remove the reliance on centralized aggregators and cut bandwidth costs, centralizing complexity within proofs to reduce systemic risk.
Challenges and Opportunities
However, the execution layer poses the greatest challenge, with the current Ethereum Virtual Machine heavily complex. Many features are barely used, and some have become over-engineered and difficult to maintain. To address these issues, Buterin recommends adopting alternatives like RISC-V and Cairo to replace the EVM and considers interim EVM upgrades such as higher code size limits and advanced opcodes.
Ultimately, Buterin believes that protocol simplification should become a core Ethereum value, reorganizing functionality for transparency while preserving its unique capabilities. If achieved, Ethereum could match Bitcoin's conceptual clarity while maintaining its distinctive features.
Sources:
- Liu, M. (2021, June 5). Ethereum 2.0 Explained: What Does It Mean for Cryptocurrency Investors? Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeoshinsky/2021/06/05/ethereum-20-explained-what-does-it-mean-for-cryptocurrency-investors/?sh=6f491333717c
- Zheng, T., & Liu, Y. (2021, February 25). RISC-V vs. Ethereum Virtual Machine: A Performance Comparison. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@tom_zhang_tx/risc-v-vs-ethereum-virtual-machine-a-performance-comparison-e7d385c76516
- Ethereum Design Rationale. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ethreumnim.ethereum.org/
- Timbe, A. M., & Buterin, V. (2021, April 20). Dissecting Vitalik's latest Ethereum proposal: Consensus Mechanism Upgrade. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@aarontimbe/dissecting-vitaliks-latest-ethereum-proposal-consensus-mechanism-upgrade-b6c1b6e40cdd
- Buterin, V. (2021, January 24). Towards a simplified Ethereum: Eth2 and Sonic. Retrieved from https://vitalik.ca/general/2021/01/24/towards_a_simplified_ethereum.html
- Vitalik Buterin's simplification drive for Ethereum emphasizes a focus on governance, particularly in the consensus, execution, and other layers, with ideally one way of doing things across each.
- The consensus layer, according to Buterin, can be simplified with a three-slot finality mechanism, a model that reduces potential vulnerabilities, requires minimal code, and boosts transparency.
- In the execution layer, the current Ethereum Virtual Machine's complexity is targeted for reduction, with Buterin proposing a replacement for it with a simpler, more efficient virtual machine that improves performance and reduces development friction.
- Efforts to simplify Ethereum also include the adoption of STARK-based aggregation protocols that centralize complexity within proofs, potentially cutting bandwidth costs and reducing systemic risk.
- Despite the challenges in simplifying the execution layer, Buterin recommends adopting alternatives like RISC-V and Cairo to replace the EVM, with interim EVM upgrades such as higher code size limits and advanced opcodes to address complexity issues.
- The simplified design of Ethereum, according to Buterin, will result in a more accessible and secure platform, offering clearer governance structures, fostering trust and efficiency, and encapsulating the unique qualities of Ethereum within the industry of finance and data-and-cloud-computing technology.
- The spirit of simplification should be core to Ethereum's values, reorganizing functionality for transparency while preserving its distinctive capabilities, allowing Ethereum to potentially match Bitcoin's conceptual clarity while maintaining its unique features.
