Vitalik Buterin Wants To Make Ethereum Lighter, Faster, and Easier To Run via EIP-4444

Key Takeaways

• Vitalik Buterin proposed a new modification to Ethereum’s Layer-1 scaling roadmap.
• The proposal aims to introduce stateless nodes using ZK-EVM proofs to validate transactions.
• EIP-4444 would reduce node storage needs and make full node operation more accessible.

With Layer-2 solutions taking center stage in Ethereum’s (ETH) scaling strategy, co-founder Vitalik Buterin is refocusing attention on improving Layer-1 itself.

In a new blog post published May 19 , Buterin outlined a series of proposals designed to make Ethereum’s base layer more efficient and accessible, without sacrificing decentralization or usability.

At the heart of his vision is a new type of stateless node and a renewed push for EIP-4444, an Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) that would significantly reduce the burden of running a full node.

EIP-4444: Reducing the Node Burden

Running a full Ethereum node today is a resource-heavy task.

The current chain data tops 1,300 GB and continues to grow as adoption increases and DeFi activity intensifies. According to Buterin, that’s a major obstacle to decentralization.

To address this, Buterin is calling for EIP-4444 to be prioritized. The proposal would allow nodes to discard historical data older than 36 days, sharply reducing storage needs and making it easier for individuals to run their own nodes.

Buterin emphasized that for Ethereum to remain decentralized and censorship-resistant, more users need to be able to operate their own full nodes, and that means lowering the barrier to entry.

Introducing Stateless Nodes

Buterin’s roadmap also includes introducing a new type of node that operates statelessly, using zero-knowledge proofs (ZK-EVM) to validate transactions without storing the entire blockchain history or state.

These nodes would verify blocks and maintain only the portion of state relevant to the user’s needs, responding to RPC requests as long as the requested data falls within that subset.

Anything outside that scope could either fail or fall back to an externally hosted cryptographic solution, depending on the user’s preference.

This model could offer users faster, more private access to the parts of Ethereum they care about most without requiring them to trust centralized services or give up on decentralization.

A Leaner, More Accessible Ethereum

According to Buterin, the shift toward stateless validation could eventually reduce the data footprint of Ethereum nodes by roughly 50%.

By eliminating the need to store state Merkle branches and enabling validation through proofs, smaller operators would be able to contribute meaningfully to the network’s health.

Ultimately, Buterin’s proposals aim to prevent Ethereum from becoming overly dependent on large infrastructure providers.

By making node operation lighter, cheaper, and more targeted, the network could attract a broader, more decentralized base of operators, keeping Ethereum open, resilient, and usable for the long haul.