Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin proposes major changes to the network
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Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin proposes major changes to the network
Vitalik Buterin proposes lowering the staking threshold and shortening block confirmation times to enhance Ethereum's decentralization and efficiency.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsBy: André Beganski
Translation: Baishuo Blockchain
It turns out that Vitalik Buterin isn't entirely satisfied with the first major overhaul of Ethereum's consensus mechanism—even though it has been technically refined and debated for years.
In a blog post on Monday, the Ethereum co-founder proposed several potential improvements to Ethereum’s proof-of-stake model, including lowering the capital requirement for individual stakers and reducing the time needed to confirm Ethereum blocks.
Two years ago, the "Merge" event completely transformed how Ethereum transactions are validated. Instead of relying on an energy-intensive network of computers for security, Ethereum transitioned to a system where validators lock up assets in the network.
Validators earn rewards by proposing transaction blocks and verifying the accuracy of others. To participate, they must stake 32 ETH (approximately $84,000) as a “security deposit.” However, Buterin believes this threshold could be significantly reduced—to just 1 ETH (around $2,600).
"Polls consistently show that the main barrier preventing more people from solo staking is the 32 ETH minimum requirement," he wrote. "Reducing this to 1 ETH would solve that issue, leaving other factors as the primary constraints on solo staking."
The growth rate of Ethereum network validators has recently slowed. According to data from beaconcha.in, about 73,000 new validators have joined since April, when active validators surpassed one million. In the past month alone, fewer than 3,000 new validators were added.
Lowering the staking requirement for Ethereum validators could also alleviate concerns about network centralization. Currently, Lido Finance—the leading decentralized liquid staking platform—controls 28% of all staked ETH, according to data from a Dune dashboard.
The second part of Buterin’s proposed improvements focuses on transaction finality—the point at which an Ethereum transaction included in a block becomes irreversible.
Buterin noted that currently, Ethereum transactions take approximately 15 minutes to achieve finality. This is because Ethereum progresses in "epochs," each lasting roughly 6.4 minutes. Each epoch consists of 32 "slots," with a new block typically produced every 12 seconds.
Chris Meisl, CTO and co-founder of Blocknative, explained that after two epochs have passed, it becomes practically impossible from a cost perspective for an attacker to revert an Ethereum block. At that point, he wrote in a blog post last year, you can consider it “extremely secure.”
Buterin also mentioned that "single-slot finality" would reduce confirmation time to just 12 seconds. Combined with lower staking requirements, this would align “Ethereum’s properties with those of (more centralized) performance-focused Layer 1 blockchains.”
However, Buterin acknowledged that achieving single-slot finality involves multiple possible implementation approaches—including powerful techniques using advanced cryptography or a two-layer system designed for stakers.
Buterin’s blog post comes amid growing discussions around Layer 2 networks. While Ethereum’s Dencun upgrade introduced a new mechanism in March to help users reduce transaction fees, it also triggered an inflationary period for Ethereum’s circulating supply.
Meanwhile, Ethereum core developers are preparing for the next major upgrade—Pectra. The first phase of this upgrade is expected to launch early next year and will adjust how Ethereum stakers receive rewards.
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