{"id":1174,"date":"2026-03-03T13:35:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T13:35:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.coinsignals.net\/?p=1174"},"modified":"2026-03-03T13:35:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T13:35:07","slug":"buterin-identifies-ethereum-state-tree-and-virtual-machine-as-key-bottlenecks-and-suggests-major-architectural-changes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.coinsignals.net\/index.php\/2026\/03\/03\/buterin-identifies-ethereum-state-tree-and-virtual-machine-as-key-bottlenecks-and-suggests-major-architectural-changes\/","title":{"rendered":"Buterin Identifies Ethereum State Tree and Virtual Machine as Key Bottlenecks and Suggests Major Architectural Changes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Vitalik Buterin has outlined a series of execution layer upgrades that could significantly transform Ethereum\u2019s underlying structure. The co founder of Ethereum argued that substantial changes to the network\u2019s state tree and virtual machine are required to address what he considers the primary obstacles to efficient proof generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a post on X, Buterin explained that the state tree and the virtual machine together create more than 80 percent of the limitations affecting proof efficiency. He described them as essential areas to target if Ethereum aims to support scalable client side proving and zero knowledge applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proposed Changes to Ethereum Architecture<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buterin referenced EIP 7864, a proposal developed by Guillaume Ballet and others, which would replace Ethereum\u2019s current hexary Keccak based Merkle Patricia Tree with a binary tree that uses a more efficient hashing approach. He stated that this adjustment could shorten Merkle branches by roughly four times, lowering bandwidth usage and significantly reducing the cost of verifying branches on the client side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such an improvement could cut data expenses for tools like Helios and private information retrieval systems by a factor of four. Proof generation efficiency might also increase by three to four times due to shorter branches alone. Buterin suggested that further gains could be achieved by moving to alternative hash functions such as BLAKE3, which is estimated to be three times more efficient than Keccak. A Poseidon based variant could potentially deliver improvements of up to one hundred times, although additional security analysis would be necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proposed binary structure would also organize storage slots into pages containing between 64 and 256 slots. This design would enable more efficient loading and modification of adjacent storage, potentially saving more than 10,000 gas per transaction for applications that access early storage slots. Buterin added that a prover friendly state tree would allow zero knowledge applications to integrate directly with Ethereum\u2019s state rather than maintaining separate trees. It could also simplify the overall architecture and support metadata enhancements for future state expiry mechanisms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the state tree redesign, Buterin proposed eventually transitioning from the Ethereum Virtual Machine to a RISC V based virtual machine. He characterized this shift as a longer term and non consensus goal, yet expressed strong confidence that it would become the logical next step once planned state upgrades are completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transition Plan and Compatibility<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Buterin, a RISC V based virtual machine would offer greater execution efficiency, improved compatibility with proof systems, and a simpler design. He noted that many existing proof systems are already built in RISC V and that a functional interpreter could be implemented in just a few hundred lines of code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He outlined a gradual transition strategy. The new virtual machine would first be introduced for precompiles. Developers would then gain the ability to deploy contracts directly on it. Eventually, the existing Ethereum Virtual Machine would be phased into a compatibility layer implemented as a smart contract within the new framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under this approach, users would maintain full backward compatibility aside from potential changes in gas costs. Buterin suggested that any such adjustments would likely be offset by broader scaling improvements over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This proposal follows closely on the heels of Buterin\u2019s recently introduced roadmap for quantum resistance, which included plans to replace consensus layer BLS signatures with hash based alternatives such as Winternitz variants.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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