Ethereum Scaling Must Keep Decentralization, Nodes

• Vitalik Buterin has highlighted the need to maintain Ethereum’s decentralization.
• Node operators must be confident of their security when connecting to external RPCs.
• Buterin is concerned about skyrocketing costs and potential security threats.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has highlighted the need to maintain the network’s decentralization properties while attempting to improve its speed. Despite acknowledging the need to scale Ethereum using L1 protocols, Buterin noted that maintaining a decentralized node operation is non-negotiable.

Buterin on Ethereum Scaling: Decentralization and Node Integrity First

In a recently published report, Buterin explained the need to maintain a high level of decentralization, noting critical aspects of the Ethereum network that should not be tampered with while implementing scaling solutions. 

Related: Ethereum Scaling: Why L2 Protocols Are Key but Not Without Issues

According to Buterin, node operators on the Ethereum blockchain connecting to external RPCs must be confident that they are connecting to the correct chain and that their data is private and protected.

Risks in New Scaling Protocols: Buterin Notes Costs, Privacy, Censorship Issues

In the meantime, Buterin highlighted the risks involved with some of the emerging scaling protocols, citing their limitations and the adverse effect they could have on the network’s development.

Some of Buterin’s concerns include the high cost of implementing fully trustless cryptographic solutions, the threat such solutions pose to metadata privacy, and the potential vulnerability to censorship.

Easy Personal Node Operation Is Key for Ethereum’s Health, Buterin States 

Hence, the blockchain expert emphasized the need to maintain systems that prioritize the ease of running personal nodes, highlighting some benefits such a system offers the network.

Buterin explained that running personal nodes significantly reduces disk space requirements, solving a crucial network problem. It also enables a distributed history storage system and adjusts gas pricing to make transaction execution less expensive.

Related: Ethereum Scaling Solutions Take Center Stage: Top 5 Layer 2 Tokens by FDV

Stateless Verification: Buterin’s Medium-Term Goal for Ethereum L1 Scaling

Buterin highlighted the medium-term priority of his preferred scaling approach involving stateless verification. He believes enabling such a solution would aid an RPC-capable node without storing state Merkle branches.

That is another method of significantly reducing the network’s storage requirement and allowing it to scale. Buterin considers implementing stateless nodes a new idea, allowing personal node operations even when the L1 gas limit grows by 10-100x.