The Ethereum Foundation has officially unveiled a long-term technological development plan for the network, targeting implementation by 2029. The new concept, named Lean Ethereum, represents not just a set of targeted improvements but a full-scale protocol restructuring, comparable in scope to the transition to Proof-of-Stake during The Merge.
Global Transformation: From "Straw Map" to Five Goals
At the end of June, leading Ethereum researchers held a strategic meeting in Berlin, where an updated roadmap, known in the community as the strawmap, was formed. Co-founder Vitalik Buterin summarized the discussion, calling this initiative the largest architectural transformation of the main smart contract network since The Merge. The project's implementation will take three to four years.
Developers have identified five key "guiding stars" around which the entire restructuring will be built:
- Base Layer Acceleration. Slot creation time is planned to be reduced from the current 12 seconds to 2 seconds, and finalization from 16 minutes to 8 seconds.
- Increased L1 Throughput. The goal is to achieve approximately 10,000 TPS through the implementation of zkEVM and real-time proof generation.
- L2 Scaling. The target is set at the "teragas" level, equivalent to roughly 10 million TPS, thanks to a new approach to data availability.
- Post-Quantum Protection. Replacing conventional cryptographic algorithms with hash-based solutions resistant to quantum computer attacks.
- Privacy. Implementation of hidden ETH transfers, allowing users not to disclose transaction details on the public blockchain.
Key Upgrades: Glamsterdam and Hegota
The next major updates will be Glamsterdam (expected in the second half of 2026) and Hegota. The first hard fork will introduce the ePBS mechanism, separating block creation and validation tasks, as well as Block-Level Access Lists (BAL) to increase the gas limit and combat MEV. The Hegota upgrade, according to Buterin, will likely be the last "before the Lean era" and will focus on improving scalability and optimizing data management.
Cryptography, Consensus, and Controversial Storage
One of the most significant changes will be the transition to recursive STARK proofs as the basic computational component, eliminating the need for each node to re-execute operations. Confidentiality is now considered a paramount task, integrated into all components—from the mempool to the interoperability infrastructure.
However, Buterin called the restructuring of state storage the most radical part of the plan. It involves creating a new type of storage designed for a much larger volume (up to 100 TB by 2030), while preserving the old dynamic state. This, according to estimates, would reduce fees for ERC-20 tokens by more than ten times, although it raises questions about incentives for nodes to store the growing amount of data.
Community Reaction: Ambitions vs. Reality
The crypto industry generally received the plan positively. StarkWare co-founder Eli Ben-Sasson praised the focus on STARK and quantum security but called the timeline too long. Former Ethereum Foundation researcher Dankrad Feist suggested completing it within a year, pointing to AI tools as a possible accelerator.
However, fatigue is noticeable among ETH holders. Users point out that, despite three roadmaps, fees still spike to $50 under real load. The main questions are: when to expect the "new Merge," why continue staking at current prices, and why are basic problems still unresolved.
My analysis: Lean Ethereum is not just a plan but a bid for a fundamental paradigm shift. The emphasis on recursive STARKs and quantum resilience is a forward-looking move that could secure Ethereum's leadership for decades. However, the community is rightly concerned about the timeline. While developers build a "castle of the future," users face high fees and slow finalization daily. The key challenge lies not in technical complexity but in the team's ability to accelerate the pace of implementation and communicate real benefits to ordinary network participants before their patience runs out.