Ethereum Co-Founder Proposes Protocol Slimming Strategy
In a recent post on a social platform, Vitalik Buterin highlighted concerns about the growing complexity of the Ethereum protocol, warning that excessive code and cryptographic layers could undermine its long-term viability.
He emphasized that simplicity in design is crucial for trustlessness, exitability, and autonomy—even in a highly decentralized system. If the protocol becomes bloated with unnecessary features, it risks becoming inefficient or even failing.
Key Recommendations for Protocol Optimization
Vitalik outlined two primary approaches for improvement: simplification and garbage collection.
- Minimize lines of code
- Reduce reliance on non-essential technical components
- Introduce more invariants to enhance stability
For garbage collection, he suggested both incremental and large-scale changes, such as replacing PoW with PoS or moving low-usage complex features into smart contracts using backward-compatible methods.
Slower, More Deliberate Evolution
Buterin advocates for a slower pace of change in the long run, aiming to prevent outdated or redundant elements from becoming permanent protocol burdens. He believes Ethereum should remain lean and adaptable to support future innovation.