Ethereum Solves the Blockchain Trilemma, Says Vitalik Buterin

Vitalik’s claim matters because Ethereum is now pushing toward all three at once. With PeerDAS and ZK‑EVMs, it can scale while staying secure and broadly decentralized. And for the first time, that vision runs live on mainnet.

A New Category of Decentralized Networks

Buterin framed Ethereum’s latest progress as a leap rather than a step. He compared it to earlier peer-to-peer technologies.

BitTorrent, launched in 2000, had high bandwidth and decentralization but lacked consensus. Bitcoin, introduced in 2009, brought strong decentralized consensus but with limited bandwidth. Now, with PeerDAS and ZK-EVMs, Ethereum finally brings all three elements together.

“It’s not just theory anymore,” said Buterin. “This is live, and it works. What’s left is safety work. Then, the real journey begins.”

Why PeerDAS and ZK-EVMs Matter

PeerDAS, short for Peer Data Availability Sampling, changes how Ethereum nodes validate data. Before, every node had to download the entire block. Now, nodes can verify smaller pieces using probabilistic methods. This reduces the bandwidth requirement per node without compromising on security or decentralization.

Meanwhile, ZK-EVMs are becoming faster and more efficient. These systems use zero-knowledge proofs to verify computation, allowing more transactions to be processed while keeping the system secure. Though some safety audits are still ongoing, the alpha performance already looks solid.

Together, these two upgrades unlock a future where Ethereum scales without giving up on its core values.

Roadmap Through 2030

Vitalik also shared a forward-looking roadmap:

2026

• Gas limits will increase, thanks to upgrades like Balanced Allocation Layers and ePBS.
• Early versions of ZK-EVM nodes will become available for testing.

2026 to 2028

• Developers will rebalance gas fees and reform how state is structured.
• Execution payloads will move into blob space for better data usage.

2027 to 2030

• Gas limits will expand further.
• Ethereum will shift toward a distributed validation system.

In the long run, Ethereum aims to decentralize block building. Rather than letting one party construct entire blocks, the network could distribute this task across many participants. This approach would improve fairness and reduce centralization risks.

What This Means for Ethereum

Ethereum’s core properties are now changing:

• More Bandwidth: PeerDAS enables Ethereum to handle more data per block.
• Better Scalability: ZK-EVMs let the network grow without losing security.
• Still Decentralized: Anyone can still run a node, thanks to new lightweight verification methods.

These upgrades are not just theoretical improvements. They represent years of research, now turning into real change.

The Road Ahead

Ethereum is entering its second decade with more momentum than ever. The shift from incremental upgrades to foundational changes is happening in real-time. As ZK-EVMs and PeerDAS become more mature, Ethereum will become more capable, more decentralized, and more scalable.

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