Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, has identified three crucial technical “transitions” that he believes will determine the success of the Ethereum blockchain. In a recent blog post, Vitalik Buterin emphasized the significance of layer-2 scaling, wallet security, and privacy-preserving features in driving Ethereum’s growth and adoption.
Vitalik Buterin highlights Scaling as a key element
Buterin argued that without a robust scaling infrastructure to reduce transaction costs, Ethereum faces a critical challenge. He highlighted the issue of high transaction fees, stating that Ethereum fails when transaction costs reach $3.75 per transaction (or even higher during bullish market conditions). To avoid such problems, he stressed the need for scalable solutions that enable affordable transactions, allowing Ethereum-based products to serve the mass market without resorting to centralized workarounds.
The second point of concern for Buterin revolved around smart contract wallets. While acknowledging their advantages, he pointed out the complexities that arise when users manage multiple addresses simultaneously. The user experience aspect becomes challenging when dealing with various addresses at once. Addressing this issue would be crucial for enhancing usability and convenience.
The third transition highlighted by Buterin relates to privacy. He stressed the importance of improved identity, reputation, and social recovery systems to provide users with enhanced privacy features. Public visibility of all transactions and assets on Ethereum poses a privacy concern, prompting some users to seek centralized alternatives that offer greater data protection. Buterin proposed the implementation of stealth addresses as a potential solution to address this issue.
The CEO wants to enhance user adoption and experience
Vitalik Buterin acknowledged that achieving these three transitions would be a challenging task due to the need for intense coordination among them. He recognized that each transition introduces complexities and potentially weakens the traditional “one user — one address” model, which might impact transaction execution and information sharing.
Addressing these challenges, Buterin emphasized the importance of building the necessary infrastructure to enhance the user experience. He highlighted the need for scalability, wallet security, and privacy features that are accessible and user-friendly. By striving to meet this challenge, Ethereum can ensure its long-term viability and appeal to regular users.