Ethereum's Future Roadmap

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin outlined a possible roadmap addressing the complexities and "bloat" of Layer 1 networks in his Oct. 26 post.

Buterin explained that protocol bloat occurs primarily due to increased features and accumulated historical data. Currently, running an Ethereum node requires about 1.1 terabytes of disk space for the execution client, which connects to the Ethereum network and holds its data, along with hundreds of gigabytes for the consensus client that implements Ethereum's proof-of-stake mechanism.

To tackle this issue, Buterin proposed reducing the need for every node to permanently store all historical data and unnecessary protocol features in a plan he calls "The Purge." This approach aims to maintain blockchain permanence while making node operation more affordable.

He suggested that if node operation becomes more accessible, the network could expand to 100,000 nodes, each storing a random 10% of the history. This setup would allow for data replication, achieving the same effectiveness as a smaller network where each node holds all data.

Additionally, Buterin discussed methods for effectively expiring Ethereum's state, which consists of account balances, contract codes, and contract storage. This is crucial for preventing excessive growth in client storage requirements.

The Purge is the fifth installment in a series Buterin has written regarding Ethereum's future. He also introduced ideas to mitigate proof-of-stake centralization risks, called "The Scourge," and a proposal titled "The Verge," which aims to reduce the computational complexity required to operate an Ethereum node, allowing even smartwatches to participate.

Buterin emphasized that navigating this path for Ethereum is essential for achieving long-term scalability, technical sustainability, and security.