In June 2024, Ethereum developers and teams from Layer 2 and ZK ecosystems met in Berlin to discuss the future of technology. The event known as Berlinterop provided an opportunity to work deeply on key directions for Ethereum's development in 2025.
The Fusaka Upgrade and Its Significance
One of the central topics at Berlinterop was the **Fusaka upgrade**. Developers launched two testnets and conducted experiments on execution optimization and block-building. The Fusaka upgrade aims to improve throughput and prepares the ground for future enhancements, including the **Pectra** upgrade. It is expected that fusaka-devnet-2 will be available for community testing soon.
Layer 2 and Layer 1 Collaboration
Berlinterop featured a dedicated **L2 Collaboration Day**, where representatives from Arbitrum, Base, Polygon, and others gathered. They discussed the limitations of L1–L2 collaboration. Layer 2 is now seen not just as a user of Ethereum but as a co-developer of protocol evolution. L2 teams made three primary requests: greater access to data resources, early involvement in the upgrade process, and participation in defining scalability standards.
Modular Execution Architecture
The discussions also focused on **zk** technologies. The **Stateless Client** track aimed at creating a lightweight Ethereum client that verifies blocks using zk proofs. These discussions bring us closer to the vision of lightweight, modular Ethereum nodes, opening new horizons for future developments.
In conclusion, Berlinterop demonstrated that Ethereum is accelerating its technical iterations. The main directions for 2025 will be performance, interoperability, and modular infrastructure based on zk.
