Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has put forward a proposal to reduce the workload on the Ethereum blockchain network by decreasing the number of signatures validators need to process. This move, announced on December 28, aims to simplify and lighten the proof-of-stake (PoS) mechanism, capturing the attention of the Ethereum community.
Currently, Ethereum supports an extensive network of around 895,000 validators to foster decentralization and enable user participation in staking. However, this has led to technical disadvantages, as the network has to process a massive number of signatures, approximately 28,000 per block, which strains the system.
To manage this burden, various solutions such as limiting network resilience, complex forking processes, and scaling signatures through zero-knowledge proofs (SNARKs) have been necessary. Moreover, the high minimum requirement of 32 Ethereum to become a validator remains a barrier for widespread user participation.
Buterin suggests a moderate solution, shifting from the current 28,000 limit to approximately 8,192 signatures per validator, which would greatly simplify the technical framework and enhance ecosystem resilience. He proposes three potential approaches: relying on fully decentralized staking pools, a two-tiered system with heavy and light stakes, and accountable committees with rotational participation.
The key advantage of this development is that it will keep the signature load at a manageable level, significantly easing protocol and infrastructure development. Buterin assures that the future load of the Ethereum protocol will no longer be an unknown, allowing for potential increases through hard forks only when developers are confident that the technology can handle more signatures per validator with ease.
In May, Buterin had warned about the dangers of stretching the Ethereum network’s transaction processing and security assurance capabilities beyond their fundamental functions.