Vitalik Buterin discussed ideas to accelerate transaction processing in Ethereum, identifying two primary strategies: enhancing network latency and restructuring the slot architecture. His focus centers on redesigning block finalization mechanisms.
Modernizing Ethereum Slot Structure
Ethereum's current system combines fork choice and finality within each slot, necessitating multiple rounds of communication among validators. This leads to delays during each 12-second interval. Buterin suggests separating these functions for efficiency.
Separation of Validation and Finalization Functions
Under Buterin's proposal, validation would occur within a small group of 256 validators operating under the LMD GHOST algorithm. This group would serve as Ethereum’s decision nucleus, rapidly determining the chain's head, while the full validator set would handle block finalization separately, potentially reducing the necessary communication rounds.
Potential for Interoperability and Further Considerations
The separation of functions allows for greater flexibility in development. Finality mechanisms could be upgraded independently from fork choice logic, and different consensus models might integrate more easily. However, Buterin's proposal remains in preliminary exploration and requires further evaluation by technical teams.
The proposed changes could significantly improve the performance of the Ethereum network, but further review and community discussions will be necessary before implementation begins.
