Ethereum is prototyping a major architectural shift from re-executing every transaction to verifying zero-knowledge execution proofs.
Through EIP-8025 (“Optional Execution Proofs”), validators would be able to attest to blocks by verifying compact zk-proofs instead of running the full execution layer. This enables stateless validation, where nodes no longer need to store large state data. The system relies on ExecutionWitness packages, standardized guest programs, zkVM execution, and prover-generated proofs that are verified by the consensus layer.
A key dependency is ePBS (Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation), expected in the Glamsterdam hardfork, which would extend the proving window from 1–2 seconds to 6–9 seconds — making real-time proof generation feasible. However, generating proofs currently requires around 12 GPUs and takes about 7 seconds per block, raising concerns about prover centralization.
If successful, this shift would decouple execution complexity from validation cost, making higher gas limits and greater layer-1 throughput possible without pricing out home validators. But it also moves the decentralization challenge from “who can run a node” to “who can afford to generate proofs.”
For layer-2 networks, the implications are significant. If Ethereum layer-1 can scale while keeping verification cheap, rollups will need to differentiate beyond simple scaling — focusing instead on specialized virtual machines, ultra-low latency, preconfirmations, and new composability models.
The transition is still experimental and not ready for activation, but with a 2026 roadmap and active development underway, Ethereum has moved from research theory to implementation planning.$ETH
