Vitalik Buterin Calls for Simplicity in Ethereum – Is He Finally Losing Patience?

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Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, has apparently reached a breaking point. It seems the tangled mess that is Ethereum has worn down even the most patient minds, and now, dear reader, he’s calling for a mass simplification. Shocking, right?

In a post that feels like a love letter to Bitcoin, Buterin reminisces about the “beautifully simple” architecture of the blockchain king, Bitcoin (BTC), and how it’s the crypto base layer we’ve all been waiting for. Yes, because nothing says “revolutionary” like the elegance of something as simple as a ledger. Truly cutting-edge, no?

“Historically, Ethereum has often not done this (sometimes because of my own decisions), and this has contributed to much of our excessive development expenditure, all kinds of security risk, and insularity of R&D culture, often in pursuit of benefits that have proven illusory.”

So, what’s the grand plan now? Well, Buterin’s thinking that simplicity could open up Ethereum to a broader crowd of researchers (no more insider-only clubs, folks!), slash the costs of building infrastructure, and maybe, just maybe, avoid catastrophic bugs. Ah yes, the dream of having a crypto system that doesn’t implode. What a time to be alive.

The co-founder goes on to suggest that Ethereum could be streamlined to rival Bitcoin’s sheer simplicity within the next five years, starting with the consensus layer. How? With a new, snazzy “beam chain” – a layer designed to use all the best lessons from a decade of consensus theory, ZK-SNARK development, and staking economics. A masterpiece of simplicity, this one. 🙄

“The new consensus layer effort (historically called the ‘beam chain’) aims to use all of our learnings in consensus theory, ZK-SNARK development, staking economics and other fields over the last ten years to create a long-term optimal consensus layer for Ethereum. This consensus layer is well-positioned to be much simpler than the status quo beacon chain.”

Next on his hit list: the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). Apparently, it’s gotten out of hand. A 256-bit virtual machine designed for cryptography that’s become as relevant as a typewriter. And don’t get him started on the precompiles for single-use cases that no one even uses anymore. But hey, who’s counting?

“The EVM is increasingly growing in complexity, and much of that complexity has proven unnecessary (in many cases my own fault)…”

But if you thought simplifying Ethereum was as easy as cleaning out your inbox, think again. Buterin admits that even removing things like the SELFDESTRUCT opcode was a massive ordeal (goodbye, security risks!), and things aren’t looking much easier with the current debates over the EVM Object Format (EOF). Sounds like a fun day in the office, right?

“Attempting to address these present-day realities piecemeal will not work. It took a huge amount of effort to (only partially!) remove the SELFDESTRUCT opcode, for a relatively small gain.”

So, what’s his bold solution? Forget small tweaks. Let’s make a radical change – a whole new VM to replace the EVM. Think of it as a complete overhaul, the kind you’d do on your car if it just couldn’t stop breaking down. Is he crazy? Maybe. Will it work? Who knows? But hey, what’s the worst that could happen? Oh, right. Catastrophic failure. But let’s not think about that.

“Instead of making medium-sized (but still disruptive) changes to the EVM for the sake of a 1.5x gain, perform a transition to a new and much better and simpler VM for the sake of a 100x gain.”

At this moment, Ethereum’s worth about $1,803. But given the direction it’s headed, who knows if we’ll still recognize it in five years? Stay tuned, folks. The simplification revolution may or may not be coming to a blockchain near you. 🚀

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2025-05-06 12:43