A new technical proposal dubbed ‘Lean Ethereum’ has emerged, aiming to significantly enhance the Ethereum network’s speed, security, and developer simplicity through multiple innovations. Supported by co-founder Vitalik Buterin, the proposal advocates for major changes to core network architecture.
The plan introduces zero-knowledge virtual machines (zkVMs) at the execution layer. This technology is designed to future-proof Ethereum against quantum computing threats while boosting transaction verification efficiency.
A core innovation is the adoption of Data Availability Sampling (DAS) for block verification. This technique allows nodes to confirm data availability by checking only small, random segments of a block, potentially leading to lower storage requirements, reduced bandwidth usage, and significantly enhanced network scalability.
Critical to the proposal’s intent is restructuring the consensus layer around the open-standard RISC-V instruction set architecture. Advocates assert this will streamline Ethereum’s foundational code, improving security, reducing complexity, and enhancing resilience. Buterin has publicly endorsed this simplification strategy.
The proposal also acknowledges related research efforts contributing to its quantum resistance goals, such as hash-based cryptographic solutions pioneered by experts including XinXin Fan. Collectively, ‘Lean Ethereum’ presents a comprehensive roadmap for fundamental Ethereum upgrades.