The Next Decade of Ethereum

Extremely fast confirmation: reducing block production time to approximately 4 seconds and achieving finality in approximately 12 seconds. Improved Decentralization: Reducing the minimum validator stake from 32 ETH to 1 ETH significantly lowers the threshold for consensus participation. Post-Quantum Security: Introducing hash-based signature technology to ensure the consensus layer is resistant to future quantum computing threats. On-Chain Lightweight Verification: Leveraging SNARK technology for efficient verification of chain state, allowing any node to easily verify the integrity of the blockchain. Network Optimization: Optimizing network communication efficiency through new P2P protocols (such as Gossipsub v2.0). Aggregated Proof of Stake: Using hash-based signatures to reduce network communication burden and improve verification efficiency. Lean Consensus is currently the flagship project of Lean Ethereum, with dedicated public meetings (Lean Calls) every few weeks for in-depth technical updates and discussions. Core team members include Justin Drake, Dmitry Khovratovich, and Will Corcoran. 2. PQ (Post-Quantum Cryptography) Project Team The PQ project team focuses on upgrading cryptography to ensure Ethereum remains secure and reliable in the future era of quantum computers. The PQ project team's main research directions are: Hash signature algorithms: Replacing the existing elliptic curve signature algorithm with a quantum-resistant hash signature scheme.

The PQ project team's core members include Will Corcoran, Antonio Sanso, George Kadianakis, and others, and is jointly advanced by internal researchers within the Ethereum Foundation and external academic experts.

III. Lean Data and Lean Execution

In addition to the two core project groups mentioned above, Lean Ethereum also has two other important, but not independent, project groups: Lean Data and Lean Execution.

Lean Data

Lean Data focuses on improving the performance of the data availability layer. For example, it significantly increases data throughput on the Ethereum chain through the following methods:

• PeerDAS v1 and v2: Implement distributed data availability sampling, significantly improving data throughput.

• BPO (Blob Parameter Only) Mechanism: Automates the adjustment of data storage parameters to gradually increase on-chain data capacity.

• FullDAS and mempool sharding: Further optimize data broadcast and storage efficiency.

Lean Data's ultimate goal is to achieve Teragas-level data transmission to support the needs of a large number of future Layer 2 applications.

Lean Execution (also known as EVM 2.0)

Lean Execution is dedicated to completely reconstructing the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), aiming to achieve a streamlined, efficient, and zero-knowledge proof-friendly new execution environment. Key research directions include:

• zkVM based on the RISC-V architecture: Streamlining the instruction set and reducing proof overhead. Real-time Zero-Knowledge Proofs: Improve proof generation speed, enabling real-time verification. Compatibility and Migration Path: Gradually introduce the new zkVM, running in parallel with the existing EVM, and ultimately transition completely. Hardware Acceleration Support: Explore zero-knowledge proof acceleration solutions based on dedicated ASICs or FPGAs. Current progress on Lean Data and Lean Execution is primarily communicated through the Ethereum Foundation's official blog, protocol updates, and the Ethereum developer community (Ethereum Magicians). The Long-Term Significance of Lean Ethereum The Lean Ethereum initiative represents the Ethereum Foundation's major development plan for the next decade. Lean Consensus, as a core pillar, ensures chain security and scalability through more efficient protocol design; Project PQ builds a defense against the threat of quantum computing; Lean Data and Lean Execution respectively enhance on-chain data throughput and smart contract execution performance.

  This streamlined, efficient, and secure new architecture aims to transform the Ethereum mainnet into a global trust infrastructure that will endure for decades, even centuries, supporting the vast decentralized application ecosystem of the future.

  How to participate? The Ethereum Foundation widely invites community members, researchers, and developers to participate through channels such as the Lean Ethereum official website, GitHub repositories, public Lean Calls, and the Ethereum Magicians community.