Ethereum developers are preparing a large-scale upgrade of the network, but are in no hurry to disclose their intentions. Among the innovations being discussed are the possible replacement of the virtual machine and the introduction of fees for storing smart contracts. Whether these innovations will be included in next year's release remains intriguing.
The secret meetings on the sidelines of the Devcon4 conference in October of this year became known thanks to Greg Golvin, an engineer of the Ethereum virtual machine. He published internal documents on Github from four private meetings between Ethereum co-founders Vitalik Buterin and Joseph Lubin with the network's development team. The topic of the meetings is related to the upcoming upgrade of the Ethereum network, designated “Ethereum 1x,” which could be implemented as early as June 2019.
From the recording, it became clear that the upgrade being discussed includes the possible replacement of the underlying ethereum virtual machine (EVM) with an eWASM system.
The eWASM system as an alternative to EVM has been discussed not for the first time, despite the early stage of its development. The implementation of eWASM, according to the developers, would significantly speed up the process of computing on the network.
The second proposed innovation is the introduction of a rent or commission for storing smart contracts. This idea is proposed to stop the growth of the Ethereum blockchain, which is already about 1 terabyte in size. However, for all its attractiveness, Buterin believes that its implementation requires too global changes.
As a result, three directions were identified and groups were formed for development:
the first is engaged in the EVM virtual machine and its modernization or replacement,
the second is creating mechanisms to limit excessive growth of the blockchain
the third is for testing and analyzing the proposed changes.
In addition, the Ethereum team is working on a major upgrade to the Serenity network. Buterin spoke about the upcoming implementation of the Proof-of-stake mechanism and sharding in November at the DevCon conference.
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