Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin says the network has entered a new technical phase following two major engineering developments. He stated that Ethereum has addressed the long-standing blockchain trilemma through live implementations rather than theoretical designs.
The blockchain trilemma describes a tradeoff between decentralization, scalability, and security. Buterin said recent upgrades allow Ethereum to improve all three at the same time.
One change is the Fusaka network upgrade. Fusaka introduced peer data availability sampling, known as PeerDAS. This system allows network nodes to store only portions of transaction data while still verifying the full dataset. As a result, Ethereum increased its data capacity for layer 2 networks by roughly eight times. These increases will continue gradually through later updates.
Layer 2 networks rely on Ethereum for settlement by sending compressed data packages called blobs. PeerDAS reduces storage pressure on individual nodes while keeping verification intact. Buterin said this approach could later reduce costs for transactions directly on Ethereum by shifting more base-layer data into blobs.
The second development involves zero-knowledge virtual machines, or zkVMs. These systems change how Ethereum verifies transaction blocks. Under the current design, every validator must re-run all transactions in a block to confirm validity. Zero-knowledge proofs allow one participant to generate cryptographic evidence proving the entire block is correct.
This method lowers computing requirements for validators. It allows Ethereum to support more transactions or more complex activity without excluding operators with modest hardware. Buterin said zkVMs for Ethereum now operate at production-level performance, with remaining work focused on safety testing.
He noted that widespread adoption will take time. Future upgrades will add features such as block-level access lists and built-in proposer-builder separation. These changes are intended to support large-scale use of zero-knowledge validation.
Buterin said zero-knowledge systems are expected to become the primary method for block validation by 2030. He described the progress as the result of more than a decade of research and development.
Together, PeerDAS and zkVMs change how Ethereum scales while maintaining decentralization and security. According to Buterin, these systems mark a structural shift in how the network operates and evolves.
Source: https://www.dlnews.com/articles/defi/ethereum-solved-the-blockchain-trilemma-per-vitalik-buterin/
