Ethereum’s co-founder has expressed worries about overload of Ethereum blockchain consensus
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently expressed his concerns over blockchain consensus overloads in a lengthy blog post published on May 22.
He raised this concern after proposals were made to employ Ethereum’s consensus for varied applications, such as validating truth through voting mechanisms and assisting in the recovery of Layer 2 projects (additional networks built on top of Ethereum). Although these proposals were made in good faith, Buterin warns that this could bring significant systemic risks.
While dual use of validator-staked ETH might be fine, he believes that overloading Ethereum’s consensus could be dangerous.
Buterin cited a series of examples to illustrate his argument, explaining that low-risk scenarios might involve using the status of Ethereum validators for things like social network verification or proving wealth.
High-risk scenarios, however, could involve plans to coerce the broader Ethereum community to make changes to solve problems with specific projects. Ultimately, he argues that such high-risk ventures should be strongly resisted.
In simpler terms, Buterin is cautioning against putting too much pressure on Ethereum’s security system, fearing it could buckle under the strain, leading to splits within the community and damaging the very heart of Ethereum.
He encourages maintaining the blockchain’s simplicity, focusing on its core functions, and assisting developers in finding alternative strategies to reach their security goals.