Vitalik Buterin Outlines Plan to Simplify Ethereum’s Architecture
$ETH co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed a roadmap to simplify Ethereum’s protocol, aiming to address rising complexity and align closer with Bitcoin’s streamlined design.
In a recent blog post, Buterin argued that Ethereum’s historical pursuit of ambitious features has led to high development costs, security risks, and a less inclusive research culture. He praised Bitcoin’s “elegant simplicity,” suggesting that Ethereum could benefit from adopting similar principles.
The proposal includes a redesigned consensus layer—previously dubbed “beam chain”—built on accumulated insights in staking economics and zk-SNARKs. Buterin believes this layer could replace the current Beacon Chain with a simpler, more efficient alternative.
He also called for a fundamental overhaul of the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), which he described as overly complex and optimized for outdated use cases. Instead, he proposed adopting a modern VM architecture—such as RISC-V or zk-friendly alternatives—that would streamline development and improve long-term scalability.
Buterin’s approach marks a shift toward minimalism and sustainability in Ethereum’s future, prioritizing clarity and resilience over feature-heavy design.
