Vitalik Buterin announced that Ethereum is entering a new development phase following the launch of PeerDAS on the mainnet and the achievement of ZK-EVM's alpha stage. According to him, this is not just a cosmetic update but a fundamental change in the network architecture, moving Ethereum into a new category of decentralized networks.
Buterin noted that a significant part of this vision is already implemented in working code, with the remaining work mainly focused on bringing security to final standards. He emphasized that the first ideas of "data availability sampling" appeared as early as 2015, and active attempts to create ZK-EVM began around 2020.
Vitalik Buterin's Statement on Ethereum's New Development Phase
The key events that Buterin believes open this new phase are the launch of PeerDAS on the mainnet and reaching the alpha stage of ZK-EVM. PeerDAS is already operational on the mainnet, providing selective verification of data availability, which changes how nodes verify data presence.
ZK-EVM, Buterin stated, has reached production level, though work remains to improve and verify security to final standards. Ultimately, these directions will be integrated into a unified architecture, which he describes as a fundamentally different type of decentralized network.
Technologies Transforming Ethereum
PeerDAS enables selective verification of data availability, reducing reliance on full replication of all data by every node. This scheme shifts the balance between the volume of stored data and the ability to verify it, while remaining part of the overall network architecture.
ZK-EVM is already at production level, allowing the deployment of corresponding nodes and integration of validation proofs into the block processing flow. According to Buterin, the combination of PeerDAS and ZK-EVM offers a new set of properties previously unseen in classic p2p networks.
For more details on technical approaches and development plans, see the materials on ZK algorithms for social networks and the overview of the Ethereum 2026 upgrade plan, which discuss related architectural changes.
Solving the Blockchain Trilemma
Buterin compared classic types of p2p networks: BitTorrent provided high throughput and decentralization but lacked a consensus mechanism, whereas Bitcoin achieved consensus at the cost of limited throughput due to computation replication. According to him, Ethereum with PeerDAS and ZK-EVM combines decentralization, consensus, and high throughput in a single system for the first time.
This combination is claimed to be a practical solution to the blockchain trilemma—the challenge of simultaneously achieving these three network properties. Buterin emphasized that much of this vision is already implemented in code, with technology integration proceeding in stages.
Ethereum Development Plans for the Coming Years
The Ethereum founder outlined a phased network development plan. In 2026, a significant gas limit increase is expected independent of ZK-EVM through the introduction of BALs and ePBS, along with initial capabilities for running ZK-EVM nodes.
Between 2026 and 2028, changes in gas pricing, state structure, and shifting executable load to blobs are planned to enhance security at high limits. From 2027 to 2030, ZK-EVM could become the primary block validation mechanism, paving the way for further throughput scaling.
Why This Matters
For miners, any changes in network architecture and gas limits technically affect how many transactions fit in a block and what types of nodes can be run. The already operational PeerDAS and production-level ZK-EVM mean part of the infrastructural changes are now implemented in code and ready for real network testing.
The expected gas limit increase and emergence of ZK-EVM node capabilities in 2026 represent stages that change the network's technical premises rather than instantly determining mining profitability. For miners, understanding the direction of changes and preparing for new node architectures and data processing is important.
What to Do?
If you have between one and a thousand devices and mine in Russia, this brief checklist will help you prepare for network changes.
- Monitor client software updates and documentation for running ZK-EVM nodes: new features may require updated software stacks.
- Evaluate your node configurations and storage capacity: PeerDAS changes the data availability verification model, so understanding disk space and availability requirements is crucial.
- Analyze workflows and monitoring: with increased gas limits and state structure changes, having tools to track load and errors is beneficial.
- Read official announcements and technical specifications—these are the primary sources of reliable information; in particular, consult discussed upgrade plans and materials on cloud service criticism.
Additional related materials can be found in the overview of cloud service criticism, which covers associated infrastructure and decentralization issues.