Odaily reported that Consensys CEO Joseph Lubin said Ethereum is expected to evolve into a protocol fully based on zero-knowledge proofs, or ZK Proofs, within the next three to five years. According to Lubin, this direction would not only optimize Ethereum’s main chain, but also strengthen composability between Ethereum and Layer 2 networks, allowing the base layer and scaling networks to work together more closely.
Support for the Rollup-Centric Roadmap and Lean Ethereum
Lubin said he supports the “rollup-centric roadmap.” In his view, Ethereum’s base layer can be significantly upgraded by strengthening Layer 1, introducing the “Lean Ethereum” initiative, and expanding the use of ZK proofs. Lean Ethereum is designed to keep the mainnet highly decentralized while enabling more than 10,000 transactions per second, and it is also intended to support privacy and quantum-resistant solutions.
On the Layer 2 side, Lubin noted that ZK technology has already achieved real-time proving on some L2 networks. The plan is to extend this capability to Layer 1, with the eventual goal of transitioning Ethereum into a fully ZK-based protocol supported by multiple provers. He cited Consensys-developed Linea and projects such as Gnosis as examples of networks using zero-knowledge proofs to enable synchronized transactions across networks, with the aim of eliminating the need for bridges and unifying fragmented liquidity.
No “Second Foundation” for Ethereum
Lubin also addressed the structure of the rollup roadmap. He said the early “divergence phase” of the roadmap was intended to give Layer 2 technologies room to experiment. Although this stage creates short-term liquidity fragmentation, he said it lays the groundwork for Ethereum’s future unlimited scaling and technical iteration. In his view, some Layer 2 technologies will become systemically important components, making this period of exploration necessary.
Lubin also responded to recent personnel changes at the Ethereum Foundation, or EF, and rumors about a “second foundation.” He said there will be no second foundation for Ethereum. EF will continue to focus on core protocol development, usability and scaling, and institutional cooperation. At the same time, EF will support at least three independent teams spinning out from the foundation, with those teams focusing respectively on protocol work, user experience, and institutional expansion. The report cited The Block.