ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has unveiled the latest phase of the roadmap, “The Verge,” which proposes an innovative change in blockchain technology to make it possible to verify transactions on devices as small as smartwatches, something that before it was unimaginable.
in a detailed ethereum-roadmap”>blog post On October 23, Buterin explained that “The Verge” combines two key innovations: stateless clients and cryptographic SNARKs (succinct non-interactive arguments of knowledge).
Stateless clients
Stateless clients are designed to function as fully verified nodes without the need for extensive hardware and only require a few gigabytes of storage. This approach contrasts with the current ethereum blockchain, which exceeds 1TB, making running a full node resource-intensive.
By reducing storage needs, stateless clients could allow more people to participate in network verification, lowering barriers to entry.
Buterin also emphasized the role of SNARKs in improving cryptographic verification. These are advanced cryptographic proofs that allow users to verify data without having to download the entire blockchain.
suggesting that with SNARK, users could efficiently validate transactions with minimal resources, potentially on wearable or other compact devices.
He summarized:
“Download some data, check a SNARK, and you're done.”
Preserve decentralization
The entire ethereum roadmap is part of Buterin's vision of scaling the network while preserving decentralization. The roadmap is currently in its fourth stage.
Previous phases include “The Merge”, which transitioned ethereum to a proof-of-stake (PoS) system, and “The Surge”, which scaled the network to handle up to 100,000 transactions per second, primarily through rollups and Layer 2 fragmentation.
“The Verge” builds on this foundation and focuses on improving accessibility for validators. Buterin's goal is to democratize network participation by reducing hardware requirements, ensuring that decentralization is not hampered by the need for expensive setups.
Buterin's roadmap demonstrates the platform's long-term potential to meet growing demands while maintaining its core principles of decentralization and accessibility. With “The Verge,” ethereum is one step closer to achieving its goal of becoming a decentralized, easy-to-use, and highly scalable global platform.
