Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has declared that the network has “solved” one of the longest-standing challenges in blockchain technology, the so-called blockchain trilemma, by combining two major protocol advancements: Peer Data Availability Sampling (PeerDAS) and Zero-Knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machines (zkEVMs).
A new phase for Ethereum
In a post on X, Buterin said that recent upgrades have reshaped Ethereum into what he called “a fundamentally new and more powerful kind of decentralized network.” He wrote,
“Now that ZKEVMs are at alpha stage (production-quality performance, remaining work is safety) and PeerDAS is live on mainnet, it's time to talk more about what this combination means for Ethereum.”
He explained that traditional blockchain systems face trade-offs between scalability, security, and decentralization, often achieving two at the expense of the third. Ethereum developers have sought to balance all three pillars since the network’s creation in 2015.
“But now,” Buterin noted, “Ethereum with PeerDAS (2025) and ZK-EVMs (expect small portions of the network using it in 2026), we get: decentralized, consensus and high bandwidth.” As he claims, “The trilemma has been solved, not on paper, but with live running code, of which one half (data availability sampling) is on mainnet today, and the other half (ZK-EVMs) is production-quality on performance today, safety is what remains.”
Understanding PeerDAS
PeerDAS was added to Ethereum during the Fusaka upgrade in December 2025, as reported by HodlFM. The protocol helps nodes verify that all necessary blockchain data is available across the network without requiring each participant to download every piece of information.
This approach addresses the data availability problem described in Ethereum’s research documentation on Github, where attackers might attempt to include invalid transactions by withholding portions of data. PeerDAS uses a probabilistic process that allows light clients, nodes that do not store full blockchain data, to confirm that most information is present and retrievable.
To support this process, Ethereum employs erasure codes. These expand a dataset so that even if a fraction of the chunks are missing, the complete information can still be reconstructed. This protects network integrity without undermining decentralization.
Buterin’s early research on data availability, published in 2017, formed part of the foundation for PeerDAS. He referred to this long path when writing, “This was a 10-year journey … but it’s finally here.”
The role of zkEVMs
Zero-Knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machines are the second element in Ethereum’s architecture shift. They allow transaction validation through zero-knowledge proofs, which confirm correctness without exposing data. zkEVMs are compatible with Ethereum’s existing virtual machine code, enabling current decentralized applications to benefit from more efficient verification.
Buterin said zkEVMs are currently in their alpha stage. While performance is strong, he said their security still needs reinforcement before becoming the dominant system for block verification.
He outlined a four-year timeline:
- 2026: Increases in gas limits through balance adjustments and execution‑layer updates, with first opportunities for users to run zkEVM nodes.
- 2026–2028: Gas repricings and revisions to state structures to ensure higher throughput is safe.
- 2027–2030: zkEVMs become “the primary way to validate blocks on the network.”
During this phase, Ethereum will aim to expand block validation capacity while keeping decentralization intact.
Distributed block production
Buterin also highlighted a broader goal, distributed block building. He described a long-term vision where blocks are never formed in a single centralized location. “Even before that point, we want the meaningful authority in block building to be as distributed as possible," he wrote, suggesting that approaches like FOCIL expansion or distributed builder marketplaces could be used to enhance fairness and minimize manipulation.
Record usage across the Ethereum network
According to Token Terminal and Blockworks data, Ethereum’s network activity mirrored the technological momentum. In the fourth quarter of 2025, stablecoin transfers exceeded $8 trillion, marking a new all-time high. Monthly active addresses surpassed 10 million, while total stablecoin issuance grew 43 percent, from $127 billion to $181 billion.
BREAKING: The stablecoin transfer volume on @ethereum surpassed $8 trillion in Q4, marking a new all-time high. pic.twitter.com/CzXBO9bt0W
— Token Terminal 📊 (@tokenterminal) January 4, 2026
Analyst BMNR Bullz commented that these trends reflect “global on‑chain payments […]. The infrastructure is already in place, adoption is accelerating.”
Ethereum also leads in tokenized real‑world assets (RWA), accounting for about 65 percent of the $19 billion global market, according to RWA.xyz.
At the time of publication, Ethereum traded near $3,171, up about 5 percent over the previous week, as reported by CoinGecko.
A decade-long effort reaches maturity
From the first idea of addressing data‑availability issues to the live rollout of PeerDAS and the performance readiness of zkEVMs, Buterin said, the effort represents a decade of progress in Ethereum’s evolution. The upcoming years will see whether these systems allow Ethereum to uphold decentralization while scaling to global adoption.
Matvii Diadkov
Disclaimer: All materials on this site are for informational purposes only. None of the material should be interpreted as investment advice. Please note that despite the nature of much of the material created and hosted on this website, HODL FM is not a financial reference resource, and the opinions of authors and other contributors are their own and should not be taken as financial advice. If you require advice. HODL FM strongly recommends contacting a qualified industry professional.
