How to Prove Legitimacy: Vitalik Buterin Adjusts His View on Blockchain State Commitments

Vitalik Buterin, the founder of Ethereum, has recently publicly changed his stance on a key technical issue in blockchain design. According to ChainCatcher, this scientist explains in detail the reasons behind this adjustment, related to how trustworthiness and accuracy are proven in decentralized networks. This change is significant because it reflects a deeper understanding of the practical challenges in building sustainable blockchains.

From Opposition to Acceptance: Why Vitalik Changed His View

Initially, Buterin opposed the idea of a blockchain that only records transaction chains without committing to the state. The reason is very practical: if the system does not store a commitment to the current state, users will have to verify the entire transaction history from the beginning or rely on a single third-party service. Both options are not ideal and pose risks.

Instead, Ethereum uses a different model: recording the state root in the block header. This approach allows quick verification of the state using Merkle proofs, as long as the majority of validators act honestly. That’s why this design has long been considered more optimal.

Zero-Knowledge Technology: Proving Without Increasing Load

However, the development of zero-knowledge technology, especially ZK-SNARKs, has opened up new possibilities. Buterin emphasizes the importance of these advances because they enable verification of blockchain accuracy without re-executing all transactions. In other words, it’s possible to prove that the new state is valid without checking every step. This opens the door to combining high security with scalability—a long-standing technical challenge in blockchain.

Self-Verification: A Long-Term Defense Strategy

Buterin also reflects on real-world risks: networks can be disrupted, service providers can shut down, consensus can become centralized, or intermediaries can censor transactions. Therefore, blockchain systems need to maintain the ability to self-verify without relying on any third parties.

The concept of a “mountain cabin” that Buterin mentions is not meant for daily operation but as a defensive strategy. It functions as a safety net in extreme situations and as a tool to resist excessive control by intermediaries. Maintaining this self-sufficient path, even when rarely used, is an essential part of Ethereum’s long-term development strategy and that of other blockchains.