Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed a plan to simplify Ethereum’s base protocol over the next five years, with the goal of making the network more efficient, secure, and accessible. In a blog post titled “Simplifying the L1,” Buterin outlined a vision to restructure Ethereum’s architecture across consensus, execution, and shared components. He emphasized the importance of simplicity in ensuring Ethereum’s resilience and long-term scalability. Buterin highlighted that technical complexity has led to bloated development cycles, higher costs, and increased risks of bugs. One key area of focus is Ethereum’s consensus layer, with the proposed “3-slot finality” model aiming to streamline the network’s operations. Buterin also suggested transitioning from the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) to a simpler, ZK-friendly virtual machine like RISC-V to enhance performance and protocol simplicity. The proposal includes protocol-wide standardization to reduce redundant complexity and streamline Ethereum’s tooling and infrastructure. This move comes as Ethereum faces increasing competition from other blockchain networks. During a recent panel discussion, it was noted that Ethereum’s relative dominance among Layer 1 blockchain networks has declined in recent years. The push for simplification and standardization could help Ethereum maintain its position in the market.