Ethereum co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, has outlined a comprehensive roadmap for the network’s development in the coming years. Buterin emphasizes the importance of addressing three key areas simultaneously: layer 2 scaling, wallet security, and privacy. He believes that coordinated progress in these domains is vital for Ethereum to offer a global, permissionless experience to average users.
Layer 2 scaling is the first crucial component according to Buterin. He argues that if Ethereum fails to address this issue, mass-market products will inevitably seek centralized workarounds, disregarding the blockchain. Ethereum has witnessed significant growth in layer 2 networks recently, with the release of ZK rollups by Polygon and Matter Labs. An upcoming major upgrade, known as Dencun, is planned for Ethereum later this year. This upgrade will introduce proto-danksharding, a technical feature aimed at reducing rollup costs.
The second component, wallet security, is another key area of focus. Buterin suggests that all users’ wallets should be migrated to smart contract wallets to ensure the safety of cryptocurrency payments and data stored on-chain. Without this enhancement, users may choose to rely on centralized entities for wallet services.
Lastly, Buterin emphasizes the importance of privacy for Ethereum’s success. Without adequate privacy measures, users’ on-chain activities remain visible to the public. Buterin recognizes that improving the protocol alone is insufficient; fundamental changes are necessary in how we interact with Ethereum, requiring adjustments from applications and wallets.
In his blog post titled “The Three Transitions,” Buterin highlights the challenging nature of these transitions due to the coordination required to address them effectively. Nonetheless, he believes that they are crucial for Ethereum’s long-term development and its ability to cater to the needs of average users.
