Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin Just Completed a Series of Blog Posts Exploring the Top Smart Contract Network's Future

The six posts, which clock in at a combined 31000 words, are a follow up to the roadmap Buterin first unveiled in 2022.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has just completed a series of six blog posts exploring the future of the smart contract network. The posts, which total 31,000 words, follow up on the roadmap Buterin first unveiled in 2022.

Here's a quick rundown of what will impact users:

The updated roadmap comes at a critical time for Ethereum. Sentiment is low as the network has underperformed both Bitcoin and rival smart contract network Solana so far this year.

Many of Ethereum’s faithful are also concerned that the focus on scaling via layer 2s is negatively impacting the network. Buterin, however, believes that layer 2s will continue to play a major role in Ethereum's future.

"The main thing that will change in the next roadmap is a stronger emphasis on layer 2 scaling," Buterin wrote. "In the last roadmap, I mentioned layer 2s in passing, but they deserve much more attention."

Buterin also touched on the importance of Ethereum's community and governance. He said that while the Ethereum Foundation will continue to play a role in coordinating research and development, the community will ultimately decide the direction of the network.

"The Ethereum Foundation is not the owner of Ethereum," Buterin wrote. "We are just a group of people who are trying to help the network succeed."

Overall, Buterin's updated roadmap is a positive vision for the future of Ethereum. He believes that the network will continue to grow and evolve, and that it will eventually become the foundation for a new global financial system.

Major layer 2 tokens have fallen sharply in 2024 despite a rally in the broader crypto market.

Arbitrum is down 66%, Optimism has fallen 56%, Starknet is down a whopping 84%, and the newly-launched ZKsync is off 55%.

"The large increases in circulating supply have created sell pressure, driving down token prices," Thomas Bautista, a research analyst at GSR, told DL News.

And there are more unlocks coming.

Over 40% of all Arbitrum tokens are in circulation, according to Token Track. Only 29% of OP tokens are currently in circulation, and Starknet will face an even larger supply shock, with a mere 19% of its tokens circulating.

Solana liquid staking project Jito just opened deposits for its restaking protocol.

Deposits have already hit the protocol’s $25 million cap.

Restaking is a way for users to use staked tokens to secure multiple networks simultaneously. It’s often advertised as a way for stakers to earn higher rewards than they would just by staking.

Restaking on Solana rival Ethereum ballooned to a $21 billion sector earlier this year.

But that figure has bled to around $14 billion due to a combination of Ether's price falling and several controversies impacting top Ethereum restaking protocol EigenLayer.

Whether Jito's restaking will fare better remains to be seen.

The ENS DAO has voted down a proposal to fund a working group that would have explored ways to make the ENS name service more accessible to users with disabilities.

The proposal, which was submitted by ENS user "punk4156," called for the DAO to allocate 250,000治理代币 to fund the working group for six months. The group would have been tasked with researching and developing ways to make ENS more inclusive, such as by adding support for screen readers and other assistive technologies.

However, the proposal was ultimately rejected by the ENS DAO, with only 38% of voters supporting it. The proposal needed at least 50% of the vote to pass.

GFX Labs, a team behind a DAO interface, has submitted a temperature check to the Uniswap DAO, requesting $250,000 to fund Tally.

The proposal would see GFX Labs continue to develop Tally, a DAO interface that launched in beta earlier this year. The interface aggregates DAO proposals, discussions, and other relevant information in one place, making it easier for community members to participate in governance.

If approved, the funds would be used to cover Tally's operating costs, including server maintenance, development tools, and other expenses. GFX Labs would also use the funds to hire additional staff to support Tally's growth and development.

The Arbitrum community has voted to establish a DAO events budget for 2025, following a proposal by Arbitrum contributor "0xArbitrum."

The proposal, which was approved by 99% of voters, allocates 500,000治理代币 to fund DAO events throughout the year. The events will be organized by the Arbitrum community and will focus on topics such as governance, development, and ecosystem growth.

The proposal also establishes a DAO events committee that will be responsible for planning and executing the events. The