Ethereum gained a bit over the weekend after Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin published an updated development plan for the blockchain called Lean Ethereum. This is not a single update but a whole series of changes planned over the next 3–4 years — the third major network restructuring after the famous Merge, when Ethereum moved from mining to staking. Put simply, the goal of the plan is to make the network faster, cheaper, more secure, and future-ready without losing what already works well — basically the same goals pursued in past upgrades.

Here are the main changes in order. According to Buterin, block verification will no longer require full recomputation of all transactions; instead, recursive STARK proofs will be used, embedded directly in the protocol. In plain terms, computers on the network will no longer have to re-verify every transaction from scratch, which will make the whole system lighter and faster. All cryptography will be made quantum-resistant, a future-proofing measure since powerful quantum machines could theoretically break current encryption methods in a few years. New ways of storing the network state will appear, which should reduce fees for token transfers, NFT purchases, and most DeFi uses by more than tenfold. Instead of the familiar EVM virtual machine that currently runs all smart contracts, the network will gradually move toward RISC-V or leanISA — more modern and efficient architectures.

Three more changes deserve special attention. Transaction privacy will stop being the concern of individual applications only and will become an embedded priority of the protocol itself — i.e., personal data protection will be built into the network at the most basic level. The consensus mechanism — the way nodes agree on the validity of blocks — will become simpler and faster: there will be a separation between data "availability" and block "finality," and final confirmation of transactions will shrink to just 1–2 rounds instead of the longer procedures used today. Finally, over the next five years, network throughput will increase several times, with the first major step coming in the second half of 2026 via the Glamsterdam upgrade, which will raise the gas limit (the maximum number of transactions processed) from roughly 60 million today to 200 million. That means the network will be able to handle many more operations simultaneously without congestion or higher fees.

Altogether, Buterin's plan describes a transition of Ethereum from its current architecture — in part inherited from the project's early years — to a fundamentally more modern, faster, and secure system able to serve far more users at substantially lower cost.

Trading recommendations

Bitcoin

Buyers are currently targeting a return to $64,000, which would open a direct path to $65,500, and from there $67,700 — clearing that level would signal attempts to return to a bull market. On a decline, buyers are expected at $62,600. A drop back below that area could quickly push BTC toward $60,600. The furthest target on the downside would be around $58,500.

Ethereum

A clear hold above $1,784 would open a direct path to $1,838. The furthest target would be the high near $1,901; breaking that would indicate strengthening bullish sentiment and renewed buyer interest. On a decline, buyers are expected at $1,725. A return below that area could quickly push ETH toward $1,650. The furthest downside target would be around $1,573.

What's on the chart

• The red lines represent support and resistance levels, where the price is expected to either pause or react sharply.
• The green line shows the 50-day moving average.
• The blue line is the 100-day moving average.
• The lime line is the 200-day moving average.

Price testing or crossing any of these moving averages often either halts movement or injects fresh momentum into the market.