Ethereum’s “Splurge” phase centers on a series of incremental yet essential upgrades for advancing the protocol. A major aspect, the EVM Object Format (EOF), targets improved efficiency in code execution.
Ethereum’s future appears poised for substantial shifts, particularly emphasized in Vitalik Buterin’s sixth phase, “The Splurge.” This stage covers critical updates that don’t neatly fit existing categories but are nonetheless key for Ethereum’s success. Vitalik envisions refining the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), advancing user accounts with account abstraction, enhancing transaction fee structures, and exploring advanced cryptographic options.
As Ethereum progresses, especially with the upcoming hard fork, its primary focus lies on features like EOF, account abstraction, and improvements to EIP-1559. Each offers notable benefits but also entails unique challenges.
How Is Vitalik Shaping “The Splurge”?
A primary objective of “The Splurge” is to stabilize and enhance EVM’s performance. The current focus is on adopting the EVM Object Format (EOF), slated for the next hard fork. EOF introduces separation between code and data, restrictions on dynamic jumps, and a new subroutine mechanism, which will support modular arithmetic and potentially expedite cryptographic operations.
Account abstraction is another crucial area Vitalik emphasizes. Currently, transaction verification depends solely on ECDSA signatures, which limits flexibility. Planned updates will allow users to pay transaction fees with ERC20 tokens, boosting both accessibility and ease of use.
EIP-1559 has improved block inclusion times but still faces issues with gas price adjustments. A proposed multidimensional gas model would introduce separate pricing for different resources, aiming to improve the efficiency and reliability of gas mechanisms by accounting for average and worst-case scenarios.
In addition, researchers are evaluating verifiable delay functions (VDFs) to generate more secure, random values, replacing the less secure RANDAO-based randomness. The challenge lies in developing a VDF resistant to optimization and parallelization attacks, ensuring secure, manipulation-free randomness.
Ultimately, “The Splurge” reflects Ethereum’s dedication to refining its foundational capabilities. By advancing these improvements, Ethereum seeks to bolster infrastructure, strengthen security, and enhance scalability, preparing the protocol for a robust future.
