Ethereum has announced a comprehensive roadmap to increase the speed and transaction accuracy of the network over the next four years. This plan, detailed by Vitalik Buterin, one of the founders of the network, includes fundamental changes that will directly affect the user experience. The Ethereum Foundation team aims to make the network much faster and safer with the new road map called “Strawmap”.
Roadmap for Shorter Block Times
The formation interval for blocks in Ethereum is currently around 12 seconds. The developer team announced that this process will be reduced to two seconds with a mathematical and gradual method. The gradual reductions in slot time are designed to increase the network’s response, first to eight seconds, then to six, four and finally two seconds.
Vitalik Buterin, the core developer of the network, stated that this process will proceed independently of other roadmap titles. In order to reduce the delays in the propagation of blocks in the network, the aim is to make data transmission between nodes more efficient and to eliminate unnecessary data transfers. In this way, it is stated that shortening block times will not have a negative impact on security.
New Staking Strategy and Treasury Management
Ethereum Foundation plans to start staking approximately 70,000 ETH with an initial deposit of 2,016 ETH to strengthen its strategic reserves and treasury management. In this process, the aim is to transfer the staking returns obtained to the treasury of the foundation.
In the statements made about staking, it was stated that this step will both contribute to network security and provide financial support for development and operational activities. The Ethereum Foundation announced that it prefers this approach for long-term growth and sustainability.
Transaction Accuracy Goals Down to Seconds and Quantum Readiness
The second major focus on the roadmap is transaction finality. Today, it takes approximately 16 minutes for a transaction to become irreversible on the network. The new plan envisages reducing this time to a range of 6 to 16 seconds.
To achieve this goal, radical changes are planned in the network’s consensus algorithm and cryptography infrastructure. Buterin stated that the system will be secured with post-quantum and hash-based signature structures and emphasized that the transformation process will be “comprehensive and deep”.
According to the development schedule, seven major protocol updates will be implemented over the next four years. The upgrades named Glamsterdam and Hegotá will be the first steps on this path. In addition, increasing quantum resistance is also on the agenda in the future. It is stated that in a possible quantum computer development, the basic functioning of the system can be maintained even if the transaction accuracy in the network is temporarily weakened.
