Vitalik Buterin announces Ethereum update

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin stated that the next network upgrade, called "The Verge," aims to make the Ethereum network more secure and accessible.

Reducing hardware requirements

"The Verge" aims to significantly reduce hardware requirements through the implementation of "stateless verification" technology. This will allow nodes to verify blockchain blocks without the need to store large amounts of data.

Currently, running an Ethereum node requires storing hundreds of gigabytes of state data, which is a significant barrier for users.

Stateless verification

"The Verge" introduces the concept of stateless verification, which, according to Buterin, will make full chain verification accessible even for mobile wallets, browser-based wallets, and smartwatches.

This means that nodes will no longer need to store the entire blockchain, significantly lowering technical barriers for users, particularly for solo stakers.

Changes to the gas fee system

"The Verge" also includes changes to the gas fee system as part of the Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP-4762).

Specifically, the changes involve the introduction of "multidimensional gas," which separates gas costs for various resource-intensive operations: calls, computations, and state access.