Buterin Calls for Structural Change
Vitalik Buterin has outlined an ambitious two-part plan to fundamentally redesign the execution layer of Ethereum. He argues that incremental improvements cannot solve Ethereum’s core proving bottlenecks.
According to Buterin, the state tree and virtual machine together account for more than 80% of Ethereum’s proving inefficiencies. Without addressing both components directly, long-term scalability goals may remain out of reach.
Binary State Tree Proposal Gains Momentum
The first component centers on replacing Ethereum’s current hexary Merkle Patricia Tree with a binary state tree. This proposal is formalized under EIP-7864.
Binary trees would generate shorter Merkle branches and significantly reduce data bandwidth requirements. That improvement would benefit light clients and zero-knowledge proving tools.
Hash Function Upgrade for Efficiency
Alongside the tree redesign, Buterin suggested adopting more efficient hashing algorithms such as Blake3 or Poseidon. These alternatives could dramatically improve proving speed.
Poseidon, while promising for zero-knowledge systems, still requires further security review. Developers remain cautious about balancing performance gains with cryptographic safety.
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Verkle Trees Take a Back Seat
Earlier roadmaps prioritized Verkle Trees for a 2026 hard fork. However, renewed discussion around quantum resistance shifted attention toward binary tree architectures.
Concerns about elliptic curve cryptography vulnerabilities helped revive interest in alternative structures. The new proposal reflects evolving priorities within Ethereum’s research community.
RISC-V as a Long-Term VM Replacement
The second pillar of Buterin’s plan involves eventually replacing the Ethereum Virtual Machine. He proposes transitioning toward RISC-V, an open-source instruction set widely used in zero-knowledge proving systems.
The migration would unfold in stages: first enabling RISC-V for precompiles, then allowing contract deployment, and finally converting the EVM into a contract itself. This gradual path aims to preserve ecosystem continuity.
Debate Over RISC-V Versus WASM
Not all researchers agree with the RISC-V direction. Developers from Offchain Labs, the team behind Arbitrum, have argued that WebAssembly may be a better long-term choice.
Their position emphasizes separating the delivery instruction set from the proving instruction set. The debate underscores the complexity of modifying Ethereum’s core execution logic.
Glamsterdam and Hegota on the Horizon
Ethereum’s upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade in 2026 may incorporate execution-layer refinements. The subsequent Hegota upgrade is also expected to address structural improvements.
While consensus is not yet finalized, execution-layer reform remains central to roadmap discussions. Buterin’s proposal signals that Ethereum’s evolution may require bold architectural shifts rather than incremental tuning.
