Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has published a review of the network’s progress in 2025, pointing to several key achievements over the past year. The gas limit was significantly raised, the number of blobs was expanded, and the quality of node software saw noticeable improvements. These foundational upgrades provide a more robust infrastructure for complex decentralized applications.
Breakthrough zkEVM Performance
On the technical front, Buterin emphasized the performance breakthroughs achieved with zkEVMs. He noted that the integration of zkEVMs with PeerDAS (Peer-to-Peer Data Availability Sampling) marks a crucial step toward a more powerful blockchain. This combination enhances transaction verification efficiency and strengthens scalability and data availability, paving the way for higher-throughput dApps.
Ethereum Should Not Chase Short-Term Narratives
Buterin reiterated that Ethereum must continue striving to become the “world computer” — a core infrastructure for a freer, more open internet — rather than merely pursuing short-term narratives. He stressed the importance of continuously improving usability, scalability, and decentralization at both the blockchain and application layers. This vision calls for a long-term commitment from the developer community, avoiding distractions from temporary meme coins or speculative trends.
Market Reaction and Outlook
Despite the technical milestones, the market response has been muted. At press time, Ethereum (ETH) was trading at -0.45%, with no significant price action following Buterin’s review. However, analysts believe that the underlying infrastructure improvements will help Ethereum maintain its competitive edge against high-performance blockchains like Solana and Avalanche over the long term.
The review also touched on upcoming upgrades, including the Glamsterdam upgrade and improvements around Keyed Nonces, aimed at further optimizing state management and reducing transaction fees. Earlier, Ethereum transaction fees had plummeted amid record network activity, indicating that scaling measures are already taking effect.
Overall, Ethereum has maintained a clear technical roadmap in 2025. Buterin’s summary not only acknowledges the past year’s work but also sets a direction for the community: to build infrastructure capable of powering global decentralized applications, rather than indulging in short-term hype.