Ethereum Is About To Change Forever, Says Vitalik Buterin

TLDR

• Vitalik Buterin published a post called “The cryptographic world computer,” outlining how Ethereum could look by 2030.
• The plan uses cryptographic proofs and offchain computers so not every machine has to repeat the same work.
• Buterin says payments could become final in roughly eight to 32 seconds under this design.
• The Hegotá upgrade, planned for 2027, may be Ethereum’s last “normal” fork before deeper changes begin.
• Other researchers and a crypto lawyer raised questions about how the new system would work in practice.

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Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin shared a new vision for the network’s future on Sunday. He says Ethereum could work very differently by 2030, even though it may still be called a blockchain.

🚨JUST IN: Vitalik Buterin unveils Ethereum’s next era as a “cryptographic world computer.”

The Ethereum co-founder says the network is “really not just a blockchain anymore,” but a system combining blockchains with modern cryptography to be cheaper, faster and more private.

He… pic.twitter.com/BhT5ZP29ik

— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) September 27, 2026

Buterin posted his ideas in a piece titled “The cryptographic world computer.” He described a system that mixes a blockchain with cryptographic proofs and outside computers working together.

Right now, Ethereum has a specific way of checking transactions. A computer checking the network fully repeats the same calculations as everyone else.

For example, it checks that a person sending money actually had enough funds. It also checks that an app followed its own rules.

This method keeps the network honest. But it also means adding more computers doesn’t let Ethereum process more transactions, since each computer is busy repeating the same checks.

How Proofs Could Change The Network

Buterin says new cryptographic tools could fix this problem. A computer could process a transaction and then create a short proof showing it followed the rules.

Other computers could check that proof much faster than redoing the entire calculation. This would let different computers handle different jobs while still confirming each other’s work.

Buterin noted that Ethereum’s developers tried something similar ten years ago. He said it didn’t work at the time because there was no way to properly verify the work.

Ethereum would still need a way to settle certain issues, like which of two conflicting payments came first. Buterin suggested that more of this work could happen before the transaction reaches the blockchain.

Privacy Plans For Wallets

Buterin’s plan also covers privacy for everyday wallet use. He pointed out that checking a balance usually means asking an outside server about an address.

That server operator can then see which accounts a person follows. This happens even if the payment amounts stay private.

Buterin wants to hide these balance requests along with payment details and account rules. This would let a business keep its payments private without exposing its full account activity.

Other developers are working on similar privacy goals. Zcash already allows encrypted addresses and amounts for payments.

About 4.9 million ZEC sat in Zcash’s shielded pools as of last Friday. The token traded near $1,660 on Sunday after climbing about 15% over the week.

Researchers published a paper Thursday proposing a similar shielded design for Bitcoin. The specification does not yet cover how bitcoin would be deposited or withdrawn under that system.

Buterin expects the Hegotá upgrade, planned for 2027, to be Ethereum’s last “normal” fork. Future upgrades would rely more on mathematical proofs, automated error checking, and security built to resist quantum computers.

Ethereum researcher Barnabé Monnot responded to the post, saying moving computation offchain could reduce the work required from the network. But he said important records should still stay onchain so users can interact with apps directly.

Crypto lawyer Gabriel Shapiro questioned how much demand exists for proof-based systems. He noted that many financial services today rely on regulation and legal enforcement rather than constant cryptographic verification.