In a recent blog post titled "Possible futures for the Ethereum protocol, part 2: The Surge," Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin unveiled an ambitious plan to scale Ethereum’s transaction capacity to over 100,000 transactions per second (TPS). This initiative, dubbed "The Surge," integrates Layer 1 (L1) and Layer 2 (L2) solutions to enhance scalability while safeguarding decentralization and security.
Ethereum’s Scaling Evolution
Buterin reflected on Ethereum’s early scaling strategies, which included:
- Sharding: A 2015-proposed method where nodes verify subsets of transactions, akin to peer-to-peer networks like BitTorrent.
- Layer 2 Protocols: Solutions like state channels, Plasma, and rollups (introduced in 2019) to offload computation from the main chain.
"By 2019, sharding research solved data availability verification at scale, merging these paths into today’s rollup-centric roadmap," Buterin explained.
Key Goals of The Surge
- 100,000+ TPS across L1 and L2.
- Preserve L1 decentralization and robustness.
- Ensure trustless L2s inherit Ethereum’s core properties (e.g., censorship resistance).
- Enhance L2 interoperability for a unified ecosystem.
Techniques to Achieve Scalability
- Data Availability Sampling (DAS): PeerDAS will enable efficient verification, targeting 16 MB per slot (~58,000 TPS with improved compression).
- Data Compression: BLS signature aggregation, address pointers, and custom decimal formats reduce transaction footprints.
- Generalized Plasma: Combines off-chain transactions with SNARKs for enhanced security.
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Advancing L2 Proof Systems
Current rollups often rely on security councils, falling short of full trustlessness. Buterin emphasized:
- Formal Verification: Mathematically proving SNARK systems align with EVM specifications.
- Multi-Provers: Deploying redundant proof systems to eliminate single points of failure.
Cross-L2 Interoperability
Proposed improvements include:
- Chain-Specific Addresses: Embedding chain IDs for seamless cross-L2 transactions.
- Standardized Payment Requests: Simplifying payments across chains.
- Light Clients: Allowing users to verify chains without RPC dependency.
"Our ability to solve interoperability reflects our community’s cohesion," Buterin noted.
Balancing L1 and L2
While L2 scaling is critical, L1 enhancements remain vital for Ethereum’s economic model. Strategies include:
- Raising the gas limit.
- Optimizing operations via EVM Object Format (EOF).
- Exploring native rollups.
"The ultimate vision must balance L1’s strengths with L2’s scalability," Buterin concluded.
FAQ
Q: What is The Surge?
A: Ethereum’s roadmap to achieve 100,000+ TPS via L1/L2 scaling while maintaining decentralization.
Q: How does Data Availability Sampling work?
A: PeerDAS allows nodes to efficiently verify data availability, targeting 16 MB per slot for higher throughput.
Q: Are current rollups fully trustless?
A: No—most rely on security councils. The Surge aims for Stage 2 rollups with formal verification.
Q: What improves cross-L2 interoperability?
A: Chain-specific addresses, standardized payment protocols, and light-client solutions.
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At press time, ETH traded at $2,625.