Vitalik's Vision: A Simplified Breakdown of Ethereum's Future and The Splurge

Vitalik has put out his final chapter of the “Possible Futures” series covering “The Splurge” and we’ve summarized it below. Here’s the links to all his originals and our summaries so far:

• Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 1: The Merge

  • The Edge Summary for Part 1

• Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 2: The Surge

  • The Edge Summary for Part 2

• Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 3: The Scourge

  • The Edge Summary for Part 3

• Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 4: The Verge

  • The Edge Summary for Part 4

• Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 5: The Purge

Ethereum's "Splurge" roadmap focuses on refining protocol performance, account security, transaction fees, and cryptographic innovation. Key areas include:

EVM Improvements 

Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) enhancements aim to make Ethereum’s core logic more efficient, secure, and adaptable. These updates focus on simplifying static analysis for better optimization and easier verification, including introducing EOF (EVM Object Format) and advanced modular arithmetic to support modern cryptography.

Account Abstraction

By allowing any user account to act as a smart contract, Ethereum enables advanced security and usability. This feature allows users to set custom transaction verification rules, including multi-signature and social recovery, making Ethereum accounts more flexible and reducing reliance on external wallets.

EIP-1559 Enhancements

Upgrading Ethereum’s fee structure, this plan addresses scalability and cost efficiency, especially under network congestion. Multidimensional gas fees are being explored to optimize different network resources, improving cost predictability and network resilience.

Verifiable Delay Functions (VDFs)

VDFs are designed to secure randomness used in consensus protocols, preventing manipulation by delaying computations. VDFs enhance fairness and unpredictability in validator selection, reinforcing the decentralized security of the network.

Obfuscation and One-Shot Signatures

This future-forward cryptographic approach secures data while maintaining functionality. Obfuscation hides code internals, enhancing security, while one-shot signatures (a concept reliant on quantum computing) prevent data reuse or tampering, supporting trustless, privacy-preserving applications that could redefine Ethereum’s infrastructure.

These goals together attempt to push Ethereum toward a future-proof, scalable, and more secure platform for decentralized applications and assets.

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