Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin described the network's future as a "cryptographic world computer," shifting away from its current model. In a Sept. 27, 2026 essay, he detailed the integration of blockchains with advanced cryptographic verification, privacy mechanisms and decentralized offchain components.
Buterin views the upcoming Hegotá upgrade, planned for 2027, as likely Ethereum's last "normal" fork. Features and technology introduced after Hegotá will differ significantly from what someone familiar with Ethereum in 2015 would recognize.
PeerDAS marked the start of this evolution. The upgrade allows nodes to verify data availability by sampling portions of data rather than downloading all of it, improving efficiency.
The core architectural change will move more computation offchain. The base layer will then verify the results, settle transactions and maintain access to shared onchain state, reducing computational burden on the network.
Ethereum researcher Barnabé Monnot said offchain computation with onchain proof generation could significantly lighten the work required from the network, enabling the operation of lighter nodes. Monnot emphasized the importance of keeping critical application records directly onchain to ensure users can observe network activity and interact with applications without relying on external servers or intermediaries.
Pseudonymous commentator Cryptographic suggested the new architecture will expand DeFi capabilities. More complex computations could occur outside smart contracts, with Ethereum verifying that resulting transactions comply with protocol rules. In DeFi lending, processes like collateral analysis, liquidation routing or matching borrowers and lenders could execute offchain, with Ethereum verifying and settling the final outcomes.
Crypto lawyer Gabriel Shapiro questioned the market demand for proof-based systems compared with existing trust-based models, noting that many traditional financial services rely on reputation, regulation and legal enforcement rather than continuous cryptographic verification.
Buterin's post-Hegotá roadmap includes recursive STARKs, automated formal verification, optimized consensus mechanisms and quantum-safe cryptography. The base layer would primarily serve as a settlement and verification layer, while more intensive computational tasks are handled by offchain components and verified cryptographically.
