Blockchain Trilemma No Longer an Issue, Says Vitalik Buterin

Since its beginnings, Ethereum has struggled to reconcile decentralization, security, and scalability. This dilemma, called the “blockchain trilemma,” seemed impossible to solve. Vitalik Buterin, however, assures that this era is coming to an end.

Ethereum breaks the blockchain trilemma with PeerDAS and zkEVM

In a statement published on January 3rd on X, Vitalik Buterin claims that the blockchain trilemma has been solved (not on paper, but with code in production). A statement that marks a historic break! According to him, Ethereum now has the necessary architecture to combine decentralization, security, and scalability without compromise.

Two technologies are at the origin of this. PeerDAS, already active on the mainnet, allows validating data availability without forcing every node to download all blocks. The system relies on probabilistic sampling. This reduces bandwidth consumption while preserving the blockchain network security.

The other pillar: zkEVMs. They allow validating crypto transactions via zero-knowledge proofs. These replace the full execution of blocks, thus drastically speeding up the processes.

According to Buterin, Ethereum’s blockchain performance already reaches a production-quality level. However, strengthening security is still ongoing.

Ethereum enters a new technological era

The approach adopted by Ethereum goes beyond simple optimizations. It indeed redefines the foundations of a blockchain network. By allowing simple nodes to verify blocks with unprecedented efficiency, Ethereum paves the way for greater participation. At the same time, it reduces the risks of centralization.

According to the shared data, 99% of blocks are now provable in less than 10 seconds (compared to 16 minutes previously). The cost of proofs has therefore been divided by 45. This confirms that Ethereum is entering a phase of technical maturity.

Buterin remains cautious: the crypto used must still reach a 128-bit security level by the end of 2026. Tools like SoundCalc will be mandatory from February. The roadmap also foresees a progressive adoption of zkEVM between 2026 and 2030.

In any case, Ethereum has just crossed a major milestone. The blockchain trilemma could very well belong to the past. It remains to be seen whether other networks will follow this path or get bogged down in outdated technical compromises.