Vitalik Buterin outlined Ethereum's development priorities, placing emphasis on resilience, decentralization and security rather than raw transaction throughput.

The network is framed as a settlement and data layer for assets, NFTs and DAOs governed by code and independent governance.

Key theses

• Main network objectives focus on security and independence from single teams rather than maximizing raw throughput.
• Ethereum is treated as a base layer for storing state and managing digital objects: assets, NFTs and DAOs.
• ZKVMs could form the verification backbone by 2028 without sacrificing decentralization.
• ZK technologies are nearing real-time proofs of EVM execution, improving privacy and verification speed.
• The roadmap includes readiness for quantum threats via hash-based and lattice-based signature schemes.
• Short-term priorities emphasize smart wallets, enhanced privacy and adoption of signature standards such as EIP-8141.
• Scaling is separated into a data layer solution (for example, PeerDAS) and distinct computation layers.
• L2s that lack new use cases or that centralize control are considered impractical for long-term goals.
• Long-term work centers on formal verification and mathematical proofs of security, potentially aided by AI.
• The focus remains on modular architecture and infrastructure built for practical, real-world applications.

Network focus and role

Security and independence from individual development teams are framed as the network's primary goals, with throughput secondary to those priorities.

Ethereum is presented as the canonical layer for durable state and governance of digital assets and organizations, enforced by on-chain code.

Zero-knowledge verification

Buterin proposed that ZK virtual machines could enable broad verifiability without centralizing consensus by 2028, preserving decentralization.

ZK approaches are approaching near real-time proofs of EVM execution, which would tighten privacy guarantees and verification latency.

Quantum-resistant signatures

The protocol roadmap accounts for post-quantum risks and evaluates hash-based and lattice-based signatures as potential mitigations against future quantum attacks.

Standards and short-term work

Near-term development concentrates on smart wallets, privacy improvements and new signature standards such as EIP-8141 to enhance UX and security.

Scaling and modularity

Scaling strategy divides responsibilities between a dedicated data layer like PeerDAS and separate computation layers to maintain decentralization and flexibility.

According to the outline, L2 solutions that do not introduce new use cases or that centralize operations provide limited long-term value.

Formal verification and long-term assurances

Long-term priorities include formal verification and mathematical proofs of protocol properties, with potential integration of AI tools to assist proof development.

The overall agenda emphasizes modular infrastructure and practical deployments aimed at real-world adoption while preserving the network's decentralised foundations.