Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has published a lengthy blog post warning of the dangers of “stretching” Ethereum consensus beyond its core functions of validating blocks and securing the network .
Ethereum consensus is the process by which blocks are validated by the proof-of-stake mechanism introduced in September 2022 with “the merger”.
In a May 21 blog post titled “Don’t Overload Ethereum’s Consensus,” Buterin warned that using Ethereum’s network consensus for other things could lead to “high systemic risks to the ecosystem. and should be discouraged and resisted”.
The Ethereum co-founder was essentially promoting the preservation of blockchain minimalism.
Do not overload the Ethereum consensus:https://t.co/07tzyCrZcJ
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) May 21, 2023
Buterine noted that over the years, a number of proposals or ideas had been circulating that suggested using the Ethereum social consensus for other purposes, such as price and data oracles, stimulus initiatives, and using layer 1 soft forks to recover layer 2 projects should they have problems.
“There is a natural urge to try to extend the core blockchain with more and more functionality because the core blockchain has the greatest economic clout and the largest community watching over it, but each extension of this type makes the core itself more fragile.”
Buterin said a certain subset of these techniques could lead to “high systemic risks” to the ecosystem, such as bugs or a 51% intentional attack.
Some high-risk examples include the creation of ETH/USD price oracles in which ETH (ETH) holders or validators can be bribed to vote, which can lead to “bad participants’ money being spent” in case of disagreement.
However, he acknowledged the need for better oracles, offering a case-by-case approach as various problems are “intrinsically so different” from each other.
Overall, Buterin said any expansion of Ethereum’s consensus “duties” increases the cost, complexity, and risk of running a validator.
Related: Buterin looks at the impact of zk-EVMs on decentralization and security
Application-layer projects “taking steps that risk increasing the ‘reach’ of blockchain consensus to anything other than verifying the fundamental rules of the Ethereum protocol” should be treated with caution, he said, summarizing:
“Instead, we should preserve on-chain minimalism, support uses of re-staking that don’t feel like slippery slopes to expand the role of Ethereum consensus, and help developers find alternative strategies to achieve their security goals. “
The Ethereum consensus mechanism moved from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake in September last year. Additionally, staked Ethereum has just been released for withdrawal with the Shapella upgrade on April 12. This explains the heightened scrutiny of validator roles and security risks on the world’s largest smart contract network.
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