A "quiet yet fundamental transformation" is underway in the Ethereum network regarding block verification methods, according to Ladislaus, a member of the Ethereum Foundation.
"Whether you're a scaling advocate, an individual staker, a home validator, or a self-verification supporter — this will matter to you," the researcher noted.
He explained that Ethereum is shifting from re-executing all transactions on nodes to confirming the correctness of operations through zkEVM proof verification.
Currently, every node in the network that wants to validate a block must re-execute each transaction within it, leading to redundant actions across all nodes.
The workload for validators is tied to the gas limit — the higher the limit, the greater the demands on the operator's bandwidth.
However, Ladislaus sees a different solution: instead of repeating computations, a node verifies a cryptographic proof of correctness.
"This is what zkEVM proofs provide — a pathway to significant long-term scaling of L1 execution," added the Ethereum Foundation member.
The concept isn't new, but its enhanced essence lies in the fact that the technology is being integrated into the Ethereum core protocol not as an aggregation function but as an optional step in the consensus process itself.
How It Works
Network developers plan to create a so-called "proof pipeline." Ladislaus described its mechanism:
- The execution layer (EL) client creates an ExecutionWitness — a "self-sufficient" data package necessary for block verification without storing the full state.
- A standardized guest program uses this base to verify state transitions. The zkVM executes the request, and the validator generates a proof of correctness.
- The consensus layer (CL) client verifies this proof.
This will introduce a new category of network participants — zkAttesters. These are CL clients that verify zkEVM proofs instead of running a full EL.
"Synchronization boils down to loading proofs for the latest blocks since the last finalization checkpoint," Ladislaus explained.
Currently, a validator's work involves simultaneously running both CL and EL clients, with the latter being particularly resource-intensive. State storage, block processing time, and bandwidth all increase proportionally to the gas limit.
According to the researcher, replacing re-execution with proof verification could significantly reduce hardware requirements for participating in consensus.
"Those engaged in individual staking and home validators may benefit the most. As zkAttesters, they no longer need to run a full EL test and can synchronize data in just minutes. Proof verification replaces re-execution, thus lowering hardware demands," he suggested.
The described changes are set to be implemented as part of EIP-8025, which is included in Ethereum's roadmap for 2026.
As a reminder, in February, Vitalik Buterin described the future alliance of AI and Ethereum, emphasizing the need to pursue a positive path.