Vitalik Buterin Advocates for Ethereum to Embrace Bitcoin’s Minimalist Design

In Brief:

Vitalik Buterin proposes simplifying Ethereum’s protocol to improve efficiency, scalability, and security.

He suggests drawing inspiration from Bitcoin’s simple, transparent design to make Ethereum more resilient and decentralized.

Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has called for a major shift in Ethereum’s design philosophy, urging the community to adopt a simpler and more minimalist approach to improve the blockchain’s efficiency, scalability, and security. In a blog post published on May 3, Buterin highlighted the growing complexity of Ethereum’s architecture, arguing that it increases costs, isolates research efforts, and makes the network more prone to critical bugs.

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Buterin believes that by simplifying Ethereum’s protocol, similar to Bitcoin’s design, the network could become more resilient, reduce infrastructure costs, and lower the entry barrier for developers. He emphasized that Bitcoin’s protocol is so simple that even a smart high school student can understand it, and this simplicity has allowed Bitcoin to thrive without compromising its decentralization or security.

To reduce Ethereum’s complexity, Buterin proposes focusing on three key areas:

1. Consensus Layer Improvements:
   Buterin recommends streamlining the finality system and reducing the number of validators to cut operational costs and speed up consensus on the Ethereum network.
2. Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) Overhaul:
   He proposes introducing RISC-V, a simpler and more efficient computing architecture, as an alternative execution option alongside the EVM. This would enable developers to write contracts using both RISC-V and the EVM, making the system more flexible and efficient.
3. Standardization Across Protocol Components:
   Buterin suggests unifying protocol components to reduce redundancy and increase clarity. By using a single erasure code, serialization format, and Merkle tree, Ethereum could improve its overall efficiency and ease of use.

Buterin’s vision for Ethereum is one that prioritizes simplicity, clarity, and long-term sustainability. He believes that, much like decentralization, simplicity should be a core value in Ethereum’s development.

As Ethereum moves forward, Buterin's proposed changes could lead to a more robust and accessible blockchain, strengthening Ethereum’s position in the ever-evolving cryptocurrency space.

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