Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has published a detailed technical article outlining the roadmap and core objectives for "The Surge"—a critical phase in Ethereum’s evolution focused on scaling, interoperability, and sustaining decentralization.
In the article, Buterin emphasizes three major goals:
- Achieving over 100,000 transactions per second (TPS) across Layer 1 and Layer 2 combined.
- Maximizing interoperability between Layer 2 solutions to create a unified ecosystem.
- Further scaling Ethereum’s base layer without compromising decentralization or security.
These developments are essential as Ethereum continues to grow in adoption and usage across DeFi, NFTs, and other decentralized applications.
The Path to 100,000+ TPS
A primary focus of The Surge is dramatically increasing Ethereum’s transaction throughput. Buterin highlights several key technologies that will help realize this goal.
Data Availability Sampling and SNARKs
Data Availability Sampling (DAS) is a foundational technique that allows nodes to verify the availability of large amounts of data without downloading it entirely. When combined with SNARKs (succinct non-interactive arguments of knowledge), DAS enables the network to securely scale data capacity.
Two specific implementations, PeerDAS and SubnetDAS, are crucial for increasing data bandwidth. The mid-term goal is to achieve 16MB of data availability per slot—Ethereum’s block time. Along with improvements in rollup compression, this could enable up to ~58,000 TPS.
The Return of Plasma
Buterin also notes that advancements in SNARK technology have made Plasma—an older scaling architecture—feasible for a wider range of applications. By combining elements of Plasma and rollups in a hybrid model, such as in the Intmax architecture, Ethereum could theoretically reach up to 266,667 TPS.
Improving Data Compression
Efficiency gains are also expected from improved data compression techniques, including:
- Using BLS signatures for signature aggregation.
- Replacing 20-byte addresses with 4-byte pointers to historical data.
- Custom serialization formats for transaction values.
These methods reduce the amount of data each transaction requires on-chain, further increasing total throughput.
Enhancing Cross-L2 Interoperability
Currently, moving assets or data between different Layer 2 networks can be cumbersome and often relies on centralized bridges, introducing trust risks. Buterin proposes several solutions to make the L2 ecosystem feel more like a single, cohesive network.
Chain-Specific Addresses and Payment Requests
This would allow users to send transactions across L2s without manually selecting bridging paths, making cross-chain interactions much smoother.
Cross-Chain Swaps and Gas Payment Standards
Standardized protocols like ERC-7683 and RIP-7755 can simplify how users swap assets and pay gas fees across different chains.
Light Client Technology
Light clients enable users to verify the state of a chain they’re interacting with, reducing dependence on third-party RPC providers and increasing security and decentralization.
Keystore Wallets
These wallets store private keys in a single location, eliminating the need to manage separate keys across multiple chains—a major usability improvement.
Shared Token Bridges
A minimal shared rollup could serve as a universal bridge between L2s, allowing users to transfer assets without paying high L1 gas fees.
Synchronous Composability
This would allow smart contracts on L1 and L2s to interact synchronously, improving the efficiency of DeFi protocols and other multi-chain applications.
Buterin acknowledges that many of these improvements require coordination between L2 teams, wallet providers, and the Ethereum core community. Standards must be adopted neither too early nor too late to avoid fragmenting the ecosystem.
👉 Explore advanced scaling strategies
Scaling Ethereum’s Layer 1
As Layer 2 networks grow, Ethereum’s base layer must also scale to avoid becoming a bottleneck. If L1 cannot process rollup proofs or finalize transactions efficiently, several risks emerge:
- Reduced security assurances.
- Less economic incentive to build on Ethereum.
- Increased instability in the value of ETH, threatening long-term network security.
Buterin outlines three main strategies for scaling L1 without sacrificing decentralization:
Raising the Gas Limit
Increasing the gas limit is the most direct way to scale L1, but it also increases hardware requirements for node operators, potentially leading to centralization. This risk can be mitigated through technologies like history expiry and stateless clients, which reduce the amount of data nodes must store.
Reducing Gas Costs for Specific Operations
Targeted reductions in gas costs for certain opcodes and precompiles can make the network more efficient. Proposals like EVM-MAX and SIMD aim to optimize cryptographic operations, which would especially benefit privacy applications and L2 systems.
The new EOF bytecode format also allows better static analysis of smart contracts, enabling more accurate gas pricing.
Enshrined Rollups
Buterin also explores the concept of "enshrined rollups"—native, protocol-level rollups that run parallel to the main Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). This would integrate scaling more deeply into Ethereum’s core architecture.
The author stresses that the Ethereum community must decide which activities should remain on L1 and which should move to L2. The goal is not to maximize L1 capacity at all costs, but to preserve its role as a secure, decentralized foundation for the entire ecosystem.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Surge in Ethereum’s roadmap?
The Surge is a development phase focused on significantly improving Ethereum’s scalability and interoperability, primarily through advances in Layer 2 solutions and base-layer enhancements.
How will Ethereum achieve 100,000 TPS?
Key technologies include Data Availability Sampling (DAS), SNARK proofs, hybrid Plasma-rollup architectures, and improved data compression techniques.
What is cross-chain interoperability?
Interoperability refers to the ability of different blockchain networks—particularly Ethereum Layer 2s—to seamlessly communicate, share data, and transfer assets without relying on trusted intermediaries.
Why is scaling Layer 1 important?
If Layer 1 becomes a bottleneck, it can compromise the security and economic stability of the entire Ethereum network, including all Layer 2s built on top of it.
What are enshrined rollups?
Enshrined rollups are scaling solutions that are natively integrated into the Ethereum protocol, offering better security and efficiency than external rollups.
How can users prepare for these changes?
Users can stay informed by following Ethereum core development discussions and choosing wallets and protocols that support emerging interoperability standards.
👉 Learn more about Layer 2 interoperability
The Surge represents a critical step toward making Ethereum scalable, secure, and user-friendly enough to support global adoption. Buterin’s vision underscores a balanced approach: leveraging L2s for scale while preserving L1’s decentralized foundation.