Vitalik Buterin openly states that Ethereum can't compete in "speed": Why scalability is the true moat of ETH?

ETH-4,14%
ZKP4,24%

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently articulated a core perspective in a new blog post: Ethereum cannot, and should not, rely solely on “faster speeds” to succeed. In his view, the laws of physics and the fundamental requirements of decentralization impose an inherent latency limit on public chain consensus mechanisms. The sustainable path for Ethereum’s scalability is bandwidth expansion, not infinite compression of block times.

Buterin defines the Ethereum mainnet as a “world heartbeat,” rather than a high-frequency trading engine. He points out that through technologies like PeerDAS, zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP), and zkEVM, Ethereum has already found a way to achieve order-of-magnitude scalability while maintaining decentralization. Since the Fusaka upgrade in December 2025, the number of new on-chain addresses has increased by over 110%, demonstrating tangible results of the scalability approach.

In contrast, reducing latency faces more stringent constraints. The speed of light itself, global node distribution, the practical conditions of home hardware running validation nodes, and the censorship resistance and anonymity requirements of validators all limit further compression of block times. Buterin believes that even with optimized peer-to-peer networks and fewer validators per slot, block times can only be reduced to 2–4 seconds at most. Going below that would encounter physical and economic bottlenecks that cannot be solved through engineering means.

On the AI application layer, Buterin also offers a clear judgment. He notes that high-speed AI systems require city-level or even building-level local infrastructure and cannot rely on the globally synchronized main chain for real-time interactions. This is precisely the purpose of Layer 2 networks: the Ethereum mainnet handles global trusted settlement, while the Rollup ecosystem supports high-speed, localized, application-intensive scenarios.

In another article, Buterin compares Ethereum to foundational infrastructure technologies like Linux or BitTorrent: not aiming for an extreme user experience, but becoming a bottom-layer system that is “silently relied upon” by users and institutions worldwide. This positioning is gaining institutional recognition, with financial institutions like JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank developing tokenized products based on Ethereum.

Overall, Vitalik Buterin’s latest statements clarify the boundaries of the “Ethereum speed race”: Ethereum’s core strength does not lie in millisecond-level latency, but in achieving global-scale trusted collaboration under decentralization—precisely where Ethereum’s long-term value resides.

View Original
Disclaimer: The information on this page may come from third parties and does not represent the views or opinions of Gate. The content displayed on this page is for reference only and does not constitute any financial, investment, or legal advice. Gate does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information and shall not be liable for any losses arising from the use of this information. Virtual asset investments carry high risks and are subject to significant price volatility. You may lose all of your invested principal. Please fully understand the relevant risks and make prudent decisions based on your own financial situation and risk tolerance. For details, please refer to Disclaimer.

Related Articles

The entire crypto market is down across the board, with BTC falling below $67,000 and ETH dropping nearly 4%.

The recent cryptocurrency market has generally declined, with Bitcoin falling below $67,000 and Ethereum dropping below $2,000. The SocialFi sector led the decline, with many coins experiencing varying degrees of decrease, and only a few like Hyperliquid rising.

GateNews8m ago

The whale "pension-usdt.eth" closed their BTC long position, previously reaching a size of $67 million.

The whale "pension-usdt.eth" closed its long positions after a short-term increase in Bitcoin, earning approximately $460,000. This whale often uses low leverage and short-term strategies, accumulating over $24 million in profits since October last year.

GateNews43m ago

Gate Daily (March 2): Trump campaign faces "insider trading" allegations over Iran airstrike; Vitalik explains Ethereum execution layer roadmap

Bitcoin (BTC) rebounded from weekend lows, trading around $66,700 on March 2. A mysterious account made precise bets on a U.S. airstrike against Iran, while the Trump camp faces allegations of "insider trading." Vitalik outlined Ethereum's execution layer roadmap, focusing on two major changes: state trees and virtual machines.

MarketWhisper1h ago

Ethereum Foundation's long-term roadmap revealed! Planned 7 hard forks within 4 years, focusing on 5 major goals

The Ethereum Foundation has released a blueprint called "Strawmap," which plans to complete 7 hard forks by 2029, significantly improving transaction speed and throughput. The goals include achieving second-level finality and scaling to 10,000 TPS. This development plan aims to enhance network security and stability to meet the future demands of more users and applications.

CryptoCity1h ago

10xResearch: Market positions have been cleared, but liquidity remains relatively weak

10xResearch in its latest report states that crypto market positions have largely cleared, funding rates have dropped to lows, and implied volatility has reset, but liquidity remains fragile. The US 10-year Treasury yield has declined, ETF funds experienced a brief net inflow, and options traders are adjusting their positions around key March events.

GateNews1h ago

The outbreak of war between the US and Iran triggers a liquidation wave in the crypto world, with Brother MaJi's 25x leverage being liquidated again.

February 28, Israel launched a military operation against Iran with support from the United States, causing significant volatility in the crypto market. Major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana all experienced sharp declines, especially when a well-known artist Huang Licheng was forcibly liquidated due to holding an Ethereum position with 25x leverage, resulting in a substantial loss of funds. This incident highlights the market risks associated with high leverage. The event has drawn widespread attention, and the crypto market's response to geopolitical risks has been swift. Investors should exercise caution in managing their risks.

MarketWhisper1h ago
Comment
0/400
No comments
Trade Crypto Anywhere Anytime
qrCode
Scan to download Gate App
Community
  • 简体中文
  • English
  • Tiếng Việt
  • 繁體中文
  • Español
  • Русский
  • Français (Afrique)
  • Português (Portugal)
  • Bahasa Indonesia
  • 日本語
  • بالعربية
  • Українська
  • Português (Brasil)