- Buterin wants a slower scale-up, choosing decentralization and stability over chasing 100x speed gains.
- Ethereum’s core changes will roll out gradually, leaving space to check the impacts on censorship and execution.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has laid out a plan to increase Ethereum’s layer 1 capacity by 10 times. Speaking at ETHGlobal Prague, he set expectations for this boost to unfold over the next year and a few months. He emphasized that the scaling effort will prioritize preserving Ethereum’s decentralized structure.
Buterin made clear that rushing the process could put core principles at risk. He prefers a pace that includes time to make needed improvements to the execution layer and network performance. The extended timeline also provides room for evaluating how the scaling affects decentralization metrics.
The approach is not just about speed. Buterin pointed out that the additional time would allow developers to reinforce censorship resistance and consider Ethereum Virtual Machine improvements.
At that point it will be a good time to take a breather and have a period to verify that we are doing okay on decentralization properties,
Buterin’s Strategy Counters 100X Push From Researchers
The announcement arrives at a moment when Ethereum is facing pressure after a weak first quarter. Declines in ETH price and network activity have raised concerns. This has led others within the ecosystem, including top researcher Dankrad Feist, to push for a more aggressive strategy.
Feist has proposed that Ethereum aim for a 100-fold increase in Layer 1 capacity over five years. Feist believes such a leap is necessary to protect the future of Ethereum. He warns that without such growth, Ethereum could face serious threats.
Despite the urgency in Feist’s statement, Buterin remains firm in his belief that a measured pace will better serve Ethereum in the long term. Buterin emphasized safety and keeping the network decentralized over chasing aggressive growth targets.
Ethereum Price Under Pressure as Technicals Weaken
As of Monday, ETH declined by 0.32% in the past 24 hours to trade at $2486.
The price is testing the 200-day exponential moving average (EMA), which stands at $2,456. A fall below this point would take ETH lower to $2,302, where its 50-day EMA offers the immediate line of support.
Momentum indicators are not bullish. The daily relative strength index (RSI) is down to 53, having fallen from overbought levels seen previously at 70. It is heading towards neutral levels around 50, reflecting declining buying power. The moving average convergence divergence (MACD) is also witnessing a bearish crossover, which indicates more weakness to come.
Nevertheless, there is still a potential path up. If it is able to break and close above resistance, it is testing around $2,724, then it could be pushed towards $3,000. That level is still a psychological line and is a potential target if bullish sentiment comes back.
