2025-12-26 16:27:10

Ethereum is brewing a performance revolution. According to the core developers' plan, a key technological upgrade in 2026 could increase this blockchain's processing speed by over a hundred times—from the current 30 transactions per second to 10,000. This is not just empty talk but a concrete bet on ZK zero-knowledge proof validation.

【From Tortoise Speed to Lightning Breakthrough】

The reality is harsh: Ethereum's current throughput bottleneck is obvious. It can only handle about 30 transactions per second, resulting in network congestion, soaring Gas fees, and poor user experience. But a turning point is on the horizon. Ethereum researcher Justin Drake demonstrated an interesting example—using an old laptop to complete ZK proof validation. What does this mean? It shows that the technical threshold isn't that high. His prediction is even bolder: by the end of 2026, at least 10% of validators will switch to ZK mode. This step may seem small, but its power is enormous—it can directly bring instant scalability to Layer 1 and lay the foundation for achieving 10,000 transactions per second. Speed could soar by over 300 times.

【The Art of Division of Labor】

The logic behind this is very clear. Ethereum Besu client engineer Gary Schulte revealed the key: future validation work will be redistributed. The most computationally intensive tasks—such as block packing and ZK proof generation—will be handled by specialized builders; ordinary validators only need to perform "light checks," similar to verifying receipts, which can be done in seconds. Once this division of labor is implemented, the network will instantly become more lightweight. Gas limits could be significantly increased, transaction throughput will skyrocket, and the entire ecosystem experience will be fundamentally transformed. Fast + cheap—these two dreams are expected to become the new normal for Ethereum.

【Roadmap Confirmed】

From now until 2027, it will be carried out in three phases:

· Current phase is Phase 0—preparation and research
· 2026 enters Phase 1—large-scale deployment of ZK validation
· 2027 moves toward Phase 2—full ZK execution implementation

This is a true scalability revolution. When validation becomes as easy as sending a text message, and speed increases by hundreds of times, what will happen to the entire Ethereum ecosystem? DeFi, blockchain games, social applications... these sectors may be redefined. Even those new gameplay ideas that are currently unimaginable might also emerge.

ETH-1,69%

View Original

This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.

10 Likes

Reward
10
5
Repost
Share

Comment

0/400

DataOnlooker

· 14h ago

It's still early for 2026, let's see if it can be realized by then before making any judgments. Wait, can an old notebook verify this? Then maybe my antique can do it too. I've heard the claim of tenfold or hundredfold before, but the key question is whether the gas fees can really come down. Drake is about to make a big move again. Every time I hear him talk, I feel like Ethereum is about to take off. 300 times? Uh... that number sounds a bit suspicious, but if it really reaches 10,000 TPS, I would be convinced. The idea of division of labor sounds quite reasonable, but I'm worried that MEV will exploit it again. I might have already gone all-in by 2026. Hopefully, this isn't just another pie in the sky. If this thing really works, those days of L2 will be tough.

View OriginalReply0

OnChainDetective

· 14h ago

Wait, 10,000 tps? On-chain data doesn't lie, but I need to check the fund flow. Will the major whales提前布局 before 2026? That's the key point. Any recent anomalies in institutional addresses... My intuition tells me that big players have known about this for a long time. This ZK verification large-scale deployment, could it be another round of capital harvesting? Need to monitor and alert. A 300x speed increase sounds great, but who profits the most from cheaper gas? The builders? Or some whales in a black box? The Phase roadmap looks impressive, but where does the 10% validator switch by the end of 2026 come from? This data source is suspicious—needs tracking. Sounds promising, but why do I always feel there's a story behind the backend data? I'll dig into the wallet clusters again late at night.

View OriginalReply0

BlockchainBard

· 14h ago

2026, huh? Another illusory promise, I've seen it too many times. Wait, 300x speed? Are you sure you didn't miscalculate? Is ZK really that magical? I always feel like it's just pie in the sky. Increasing from 30 TPS to 10,000 sounds great, but when will it actually be implemented? This time, there's finally some substantial progress, not just empty talk. Lowering the validator threshold is good, but does it risk centralization? Justin Drake has spoken again. How reliable is he this time? We have to wait two more years. Who knows what the market will look like then? If it can really be achieved, Ethereum could truly turn things around this time.

View OriginalReply0

MEV_Whisperer

· 14h ago

It's another story from 2026, I've heard it for years... If they can really reach 10,000 TPS, I would go all in.

View OriginalReply0

ForkInTheRoad

· 14h ago

It's the story of 2026 again, every year it's the same talk. I just want to see if it can really come to fruition. Last year, they also said there would be an explosion in 2026, but we're still in Phase 0. The hype is even more intense than Bitcoin's Lightning Network. 10,000 TPS sounds great, but will the Gas fees really be cheap? That's the key. I agree with the division of labor logic, but I'm a bit worried that ordinary validators will become more and more marginalized. Justin Drake's notebook demo is the highlight; finally, there's something substantial.

View OriginalReply0