Vitalik Buterin (Ethereum Co-founder) – Endgame | Bankless Podcast (Jan 2022)


Chapters

00:00:11 Ethereum Roadmap and Endgame: From Alt-1s to Unified Ecosystem
00:08:11 2021: A Year of Adoption, Tech, and Realization for
00:12:45 Ethereum's Development Roadmap and Progress in 2021
00:19:26 Ethereum Merge and Roadmap Overview
00:21:47 Ethereum Scaling Roadmap: From Merge to Data Sharding
00:29:33 Ethereum Surge: Scaling the Blockchain for Practical Use
00:34:58 Blockchain Scalability and Security Trade-Offs
00:39:50 Ethereum's Scalability and the Verge
00:44:44 Ethereum Hard Fork Updates: Vitalik Buterin Explains Stateless Clients and The Purge
00:49:54 Ethereum History Expiry and Alternative Solutions
00:56:28 Ethereum History, State, and Archive Node Expiry
01:00:15 Simplifying the Ethereum Protocol
01:03:23 Ethereum Purges and Splurges: A New Direction for Blockchain Evolution
01:09:36 Advancements in Account Abstraction and ZK-SNARK Implementation
01:14:03 Web3 Crypto Tools and Services
01:16:29 Ethereum Roadmap and the Future of Blockchains
01:27:51 Vitalik Buterin's Thoughts on Maximalism, Decentralization, and the
01:34:26 Decentralization Strategies for Centralized Layer 1 Blockchains
01:40:16 Similarities between Centralized Layer 1s and Layer 2 Rollups
01:44:08 Cross-Domain MEV and Centralization in the Future of Ethereum
01:51:15 Ethereum's Rollup Future: Convenience vs. Health
01:55:13 Blockchain Technology as a Solution to Hyper-Intermediation
01:58:22 Bankless Journey: DeFi, Crypto, and Financial Freedom

Abstract

Updated Article: Vitalik Buterin on Ethereum’s Future and the Role of Crypto in the 2020s

In a compelling overview of Ethereum’s future and the potential role of cryptocurrency in addressing global challenges, Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin outlines a comprehensive roadmap. This roadmap includes significant upgrades like the Merge, the Surge, and the Purge, aimed at enhancing Ethereum’s scalability, security, and decentralization. Simultaneously, Buterin envisions the broader crypto space, including Ethereum, playing a pivotal role in tackling issues like climate change and financial inclusion in the 2020s. This article delves into the intricacies of Ethereum’s development, the rise of alternative layer-one blockchains, and the transformative potential of cryptocurrencies.

Ethereum’s Evolution and Roadmap

Ethereum’s journey, marked by significant milestones such as the Merge and sharding, showcases its commitment to improving scalability, security, and decentralization. The full specification of the merge process is complete, encompassing edge cases and fork choice improvements, and test networks are underway. The subsequent phases, including the Surge, the Verge, and the Purge, focus on enhancing scalability through sharding, employing stateless clients, and simplifying the blockchain’s structure. Vitalik provides a detailed overview of the Ethereum roadmap, highlighting key milestones like the Merge, which marks the transition from Proof-of-Work to Proof-of-Stake, thereby improving scalability and security. The roadmap also includes sharding for increased transaction throughput, rollups and Layer-2 scaling for efficiency, data availability sampling for reliability, and ongoing improvements through the Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) process.

Scalability Risks and Ethereum’s Parameters

Ethereum’s roadmap, aiming for a blockchain data throughput of 2.6 megabytes per second (approximately 85 terabytes of data per year), presents scalability challenges. While sharding addresses these issues, it also introduces complexities and potential security risks, including increased reliance on active users for chain security and uncertainties in guaranteeing the availability of historical data.

State Storage Optimizations in Ethereum’s Verge Upgrade

The introduction of Verkle trees in the Verge upgrade, replacing Merkle Patricia trees for state storage, offers several benefits. These trees, utilizing vector commitments, enable stateless clients, allowing block verification without needing the entire Ethereum state. This significantly reduces storage requirements, enhancing Ethereum’s accessibility and efficiency.

History Expiry and Alternative Methods for Obtaining Historical Data

History expiry is proposed to alleviate storage burdens on nodes, allowing them to discard historical data beyond a certain age. Alternative methods for accessing historical data include centralized services, decentralized protocols, and like-client protocols.

State Expiry and Technical Debt

The long-term proposal of state expiry aims to manage Ethereum’s state size by segregating inactive objects into a separate expired tree. Technical debt considerations include removing the self-destruct opcode, eliminating gas stipends, and addressing issues with dust accounts.

Decentralization and Layer-One Blockchains

Centralized Alt-1 blockchains, adopting features like proof-of-stake and cross-chain bridges, could evolve towards decentralization. This balance between scalability and security reflects the growing prominence of alternative blockchains that prioritize user affordability, despite initial centralization. Vitalik highlights the significance of long-term sustainability and decentralization for the success of Layer-1 blockchains, with Ethereum envisioned as an interoperability hub connecting various Layer-1 platforms.

Proposer Builder Separation (PBS) and its Impact on Validators

Proposer Builder Separation (PBS) separates block creation from validation, enabling validators to focus on verifying blocks. This reduction in hardware requirements boosts block creation efficiency and simplifies the protocol.

Simplifying the Ethereum Protocol and its Components

Efforts to remove technical debt can enhance Ethereum’s accessibility and ease of operation. Proposed measures include eliminating the self-destruct opcode, gas stipends, and precompilers.

Ethereum’s Response to Scalability and Security Challenges

Ethereum’s roadmap, balancing scalability and security, leverages data sharding and layer-2 scaling solutions to enhance transaction bandwidth. The integration of technologies like Verkle trees and stateless clients aims to streamline block verification and reduce storage burdens. “The Endgame,” an article by Vitalik, envisions a future where blockchains communicate seamlessly, achieving massive scalability for global adoption.

The Purge: Eliminating Unnecessary Data and Streamlining Blockchain’s History

The Purge aims to reduce the burden of maintaining unnecessary data, analogous to managing a growing snake in the game of Snake or an expanding city facing climate change challenges. This phase prioritizes security and agility by eliminating outdated information while ensuring secure retrieval of historical data.

The Splurge: Enhancing User Experience and Expanding Ethereum’s Capabilities

The Splurge phase, including Proposal Builder Separation, enhances user experience by enabling offline transaction signing and separating transaction proposal from signing. Account Abstraction promotes smart contract wallets, facilitating the integration of multi-sig and social recovery wallets.

Ethereum’s Long-term Vision: Stability and Mainstream Adoption

Ethereum aspires to achieve maturity and stability

, ensuring its long-term viability. A crucial part of this vision is making blockchain transactions affordable and accessible to the general public. By reducing transaction fees and adopting layer-2 solutions like Loopring, Ethereum aims to recreate the low-cost era of 2014-15 to facilitate mainstream adoption. This approach challenges the concept of blockchain maximalism, highlighting the importance of decentralization in maintaining Ethereum’s credibility.

Vitalik discusses the notion of “Ethereum maximalists” and the significance of embracing diversity within the blockchain ecosystem. He underscores the necessity of a decentralized, inclusive, and scalable blockchain environment to achieve these ambitious goals.

The Role of Crypto in the 2020s

Buterin emphasizes the potential of cryptocurrency in tackling major global issues, such as providing alternatives to traditional financial systems and contributing to climate change solutions. He expresses optimism about crypto’s role in addressing challenges like financial inclusion, governance, and climate change during the 2020s, emphasizing the need for a truly decentralized, neutral, and scalable blockchain ecosystem.

Ethereum’s Path Forward

As Ethereum continues to advance along its ambitious roadmap, it aims not only to cement its position in the crypto industry but also to contribute meaningfully to global challenges. Balancing technological innovation with practical solutions, Ethereum and the broader crypto world are well-positioned to make significant progress in the years ahead.

Ryan and David, in an exclusive debrief available to Bankless premium subscribers, delve into strategies for Alternative Layer-1s, the convergence towards an endgame state, and other relevant crypto topics.

Layer 2 Account Abstraction (ERC4337) and ZK-Snarking

ERC4337, a layer 2 approach to account abstraction, supports smart contract wallets and user operations without altering the existing protocol. It introduces a separate mempool for user operations, enabling miners and Flashbots actors to participate. This approach allows account abstracted wallets to interact seamlessly with existing applications.

ZK-snarking moves away from traditional transaction verification methods, requiring users to verify only a single snark for validating an entire block. This significantly simplifies node operation, broadening access and enhancing network security.

Promotions: Gemini, Slingshot, Brave Browser, and Web3

David Hoffman promotes Gemini, a crypto exchange offering a diverse range of tokens and yield-earning opportunities, and Slingshot, a decentralized trading platform providing optimal crypto asset prices without fees. Gemini allows users to trade over 50 different cryptos, while Slingshot combines centralized and decentralized exchange features for an improved trading experience. The Brave Browser, with its built-in ad blocker and secure crypto wallet, offers enhanced privacy and security for crypto transactions.

Ethereum Roadmap Overview

Vitalik Buterin estimates Ethereum’s roadmap to be about 50% complete, encompassing phases like the merge, surge, purge, verge, and splurge. This roadmap is subject to changes and new additions, reflecting the ongoing evolution of Ethereum’s technology.

Timeline and Flexibility

Ethereum’s development, spanning over six years, might require another six years to fully realize its roadmap. This timeline is flexible, accommodating future developments and innovations.

Key Components of the Roadmap

The merge and surge are critical for Ethereum’s growth, with other components like PBS and the verge potentially becoming important over time. Alternatives exist for all except the merge and surge, but these phases remain highly desirable.

Ethereum as a World Computer

Once the roadmap is completed, Ethereum will function as a global computer for executing applications with globally trusted execution.

Alternative Layer Ones

The popularity of alternative layer ones, driven by demands for scalability and low transaction costs, is on the rise. Binance Chain, for example, has gained traction in Argentina for its instant transfers and affordable fees. Users sometimes prioritize convenience and cost over decentralization.

Decentralization and Cost

Buterin stresses that while decentralization is crucial, it should not come at the expense of affordability. Blockchains must remain accessible for mainstream adoption, particularly for users with limited resources.

Scalability and Layer 2s

Layer 1 Ethereum is not yet ready for mass adoption due to high fees, but Layer 2 solutions like Loopring are reducing costs. The future implementation of sharding will further lower fees, encouraging innovation and experimentation.

Maximalism

Vitalik criticizes the notion of maximalism, particularly the dismissal of developments in other ecosystems. He recognizes the exciting work in projects like Zcash and Tezos, emphasizing the centrality of decentralization.

Decentralization

Buterin argues for the paramount importance of decentralization, distinguishing Ethereum from ecosystems that tolerate closed-source components. He advocates for community-driven protocol changes rather than decisions made by a few elites.

End Game Paper

The discussion shifts towards the end game paper, reaffirming decentralization as a core industry principle. Buterin acknowledges the rise of alternative Layer 1 solutions, emphasizing the importance of understanding their design choices and trade-offs.

Decentralization in Crypto Systems: Balancing Theory and Practice

Buterin contends that many centralized Layer 1 blockchains only superficially commit to decentralization. He proposes a roadmap for these systems to become more decentralized, focusing on protocol enhancements that increase censorship resistance and trustlessness.

Achieving Decentralization in Centralized Systems

Buterin suggests adding “protocol armor” to centralized blockchains to enhance their decentralization. This includes mechanisms like distributed block validation and committee verification to enable decentralized actors to verify blocks and prevent abuses by block producers.

Balancing Power Dynamics between Block Producers and Verifiers

Buterin acknowledges that block producers may retain some power, such as extracting MEV and delaying transactions. Alternative transaction inclusion mechanisms can mitigate these issues, though they do not entirely eliminate block producer influence.

Core Principles of a Blockchain

Despite challenges, Buterin emphasizes that core blockchain principles, like censorship resistance and the inability to push invalid blocks, remain intact with the proposed decentralization roadmap. These measures ensure that the fundamental characteristics of a blockchain are preserved, even in systems with centralized block production.

Importance of Decentralized Networks in a Hyper-Intermediated World

In our current hyper-intermediated world, there’s a risk of dystopia due to multiple pressure points that can obstruct transactions. Centralized institutions are susceptible to corruption and can arbitrarily shut down services.

Decentralized Networks as a Solution

Decentralized networks, such as blockchains, provide intermediaries that are resistant to corruption and interference. They offer a reliable and trustworthy alternative to centralized institutions.

Real-World Examples

Startups built on platforms like Twitter and Facebook face the risk of sudden shutdowns due to API changes. Argentina’s experience with fiat currency unreliability has prompted people to seek alternative solutions.

Importance in International Transactions

Hyper-intermediation can involve multiple geopolitical actors with varying perspectives on acceptable transactions. Decentralized networks mitigate this issue by providing a neutral and globally accessible platform.

Decentralization, Neutrality, and Scaling

For blockchains to effectively address the need for alternatives to centralized institutions, they must be decentralized, credibly neutral, and scalable. A roadmap exists to achieve these goals, and many individuals are working towards their realization.

This comprehensive overview of Ethereum’s evolution, Vitalik Buterin’s vision, and the role of crypto in addressing global challenges in the 2020s provides a clear path forward. It underscores Ethereum’s commitment to scalability, security, and decentralization while highlighting the transformative potential of cryptocurrencies in creating a more inclusive and sustainable future.


Notes by: WisdomWave