Ethereum: what are the next steps after The Merge?

The Merge, which we explain all about here, is just one stage in Ethereum's development.

In late July, at the EthCC in Paris where The Big Whale was obviously present, Vitalik Buterin explained that the protocol will only have completed 55% of its roadmap once the Merge (merger) is complete. This update should enable Ethereum to consume less energy.

The next worksites look to be just as important 👀.

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The EIP 4844 should improve the integration of layer 2s (second layer) to increase their processing capabilities. "These are already very powerful, but they will become even more so," assures Jérôme de Tychey. "After EIP 4844, rollups (Arbitrum, Optimism, etc.) will have between 10 and 100 times more capacity than today," adds Barnabé Monnot.

According to Ethereum Foundation projections, rollups will not even have enough transactions to process to fully utilise this new space. In the most optimistic scenarios, EIP 4844 could be implemented in early 2023.

Research is also underway to reduce the weight of the blockchain, which currently weighs in at 880 gigabytes (it would currently take 4 standard MacBooks to store the entire blockchain).

This is problematic, as everyone who hosts a node must be able to support it. "Even if storage tools are getting cheaper, increasing the size of the blockchain cannot go on indefinitely," warns Jérôme de Tychey. "Reducing the weight of the blockchain is essential to maintain the decentralisation of the network", notes Barnabé Monnot. According to him, however, this update should not see the light of day "for another two years".

But while these projects are important, none of them carry with them the upheaval of The Merge. "The next steps will be in the area of optimisation. We shouldn't expect anything as fundamental as The Merge," concludes Jérôme de Tychey.