Vitalik Buterin Advocates for Ethereum’s Transition to Verkle Trees
In a recent discussion on Crypto X, Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, expressed his support for the adoption of Verkle trees as the data structure for the popular cryptocurrency. The conversation was initiated by Mihailo Bjelic, the co-founder of Polygon, who raised questions about the capabilities of Verkle trees compared to the current Merkle Patricia trees used by Ethereum.
Buterin highlighted the limitations of the existing data structure, particularly in relation to Zero-Knowledge protocols (ZK) that are essential for enhancing the scalability and efficiency of Ethereum. He pointed out that the large witness sizes of Merkle Patricia trees, which can reach up to 300 MB, are not suitable for ZK applications.
Bjelic, on the other hand, noted that Polygon’s zkEVM protocol could handle the current requirements, but acknowledged the need for a more efficient solution. He mentioned that the architecture of Verkle trees, with its vector components, is well-suited for ZK technologies and could significantly improve network performance.
The transition to Verkle trees is seen as a crucial step in Ethereum’s development, particularly in the implementation of ZK protocols through Layer-2 solutions. These solutions aim to increase transaction throughputs, reduce gas fees, and enhance scalability, ultimately ensuring Ethereum’s competitiveness in the evolving blockchain landscape.
Overall, the shift to Verkle trees represents a strategic move for Ethereum as it continues to innovate and adapt to meet the growing demands of the market. With Buterin’s endorsement and the potential benefits it offers, the transition is expected to bring significant improvements to the Ethereum network.
Source: https://www.cryptopolitan.com/vitalik-buterin-advocates-for-eth-shift/
