Vitalik Buterin ponders Ethereum’s post-Merge future

Reported by Cointelegraph: Ethereum co-founder Buterin shared his vision for the future of the protocol, with an emphasis on improvement for proof-of-stake, security and more in a post-Merge world.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin took to social media to share his reflections on the state of the protocol and its potential evolution after the Merge.

In a detailed blog post on Oct. 14, Buterin highlighted several key areas where Ethereum could see significant advancements, including faster transaction speeds, improved security and greater accessibility for solo stakers.

Post-Merge thoughts
The Ethereum Merge in 2022 marked the protocol’s transition from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake (PoS). Buterin called the event “hard-earned” and “long-awaited,” but noted there are still important areas where PoS needs improvement.

According to Buterin, one of the primary goals for Ethereum’s future is to reduce the time it takes to complete a transaction.

Currently, it can take about 15 minutes, a delay that can be frustrating given that Ethereum is the most heavily trafficked blockchain network. The lag time can lead to congestion.

Buterin suggested exploring solutions like single-slot finality, which could drastically reduce transaction time. This would make Ethereum more competitive and improve its overall user experience. He previously proposed single-slot finality in July.

Buterin also discussed making Ethereum more accessible to a broader range of users. The current staking requirement of 32 Ether  can be a barrier for many individuals looking to participate in the network. Buterin proposed lowering the minimum staking amount to 1 ETH, enabling more people to contribute to Ethereum’s security and governance.

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This would also help to further decentralize Ethereum, reducing the risk of a single entity gaining too much control.

Keeping the network secure
Buterin stressed the importance of protecting Ethereum from attacks by implementing a cryptographic technique called single secret leader election, which would make it harder for attackers to disrupt the network.

Additionally, Buterin suggested exploring ways to improve the protocol’s resistance to quantum computing threats, which could pose a significant challenge in the future, and increasing the quorum threshold and recovery from 51% attacks.

Buterin’s post comes as Ethereum anticipates the next milestone on its development roadmap — the Prague-Electra (Pectra) upgrade, scheduled to go live in the first quarter of 2025.