Ethereum's Hegotá Upgrade Marks Last Normal Fork, Says Vitalik Buterin

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently stated that the upcoming Hegotá upgrade could be the network's last 'normal' fork. The upgrade, planned for 2027, will likely feature technologies still recognizable to someone familiar with Ethereum in 2015.

However, Buterin hinted at a significant shift in Ethereum's development trajectory. He described PeerDAS as the beginning of Ethereum's transition from being just a blockchain to something more powerful, a 'cryptographic world computer.'

This new architecture combines blockchains with cryptographic verification, privacy, and decentralized off-chain components. It will enable more computation to occur off-chain while using the base layer for verification and settlement.

Ethereum researcher Barnabé Monnot agreed that moving computation off-chain could significantly reduce network workloads. However, he emphasized the importance of keeping crucial records on-chain to ensure user interaction and transparency.