Co-Founder of Ethereum assessed the possible risks of expanding the functionality of the mainnet of the largest altcoin. He again urged developers not to overload the network unnecessarily.
In his blog, Vitalik Buterin, Co-Founder of Ethereum, expressed his concerns about the expansion of the mainnet’s functionality, considering some new features developers plan to implement in Ethereum.
Vitalik emphasized that the initial plan was to keep the Ethereum core code as simple as possible so that users could easily adapt it to their needs by making changes on top. However, the network’s evolution requires changes to the Ethereum core, which, according to Buterin, could negatively affect the security and decentralization of the blockchain.
In particular, Vitalik mentioned the risks related to the deployment of the following features:
- The ERC-4337 token standard, which can substantially increase the network’s resistance to censorship but also opens up many backdoors for hackers and significantly raises gas costs for users.
- The implementation of ZK-EVM, which can simplify the operation of L2 solutions and ensure their interoperability. At the same time, the openness of data within the ecosystem will potentially make Layer 2 protocols more vulnerable and harder to develop.
- The introduction of the Enshrined proposer-builder separation (ePBS) mechanism, which can enhance the security and transparency of the blockchain network and ensure interoperability of protocols within the ecosystem. But this involves the use of MEV-Boost that carries risks of consensus overload.
- The creation of private encrypted mempools that strengthen user protection from hackers but require new encryption methods that can only be implemented on special hardware. Thus, the inclusion of private mempools into the main network can reduce Ethereum’s decentralization.
- Enabling liquid staking, which despite its popularity and convenience for users, adds to the network’s centralization and threatens its security.
- Enabling precompiled smart contracts (precompiles), which can increase the speed of some transactions within the network but can put additional strain on the network and lead to a substantial hike in the price of gas.
According to Vitalik, enshrining any new features in the Ethereum protocol requires careful consideration and weighing the pros and cons. Developers should find a balance between minimalism and utility, providing conditions that can prevent centralization. Buterin believes that only in this case software bloat will be justified.
Earlier, Vitalik Buterin spoke about the dangers of “stretching” the Ethereum consensus beyond its basic functions.
