ChainCatcher reports that researchers and developers anticipate 2026 will be a pivotal year for Ethereum to achieve exponential scaling through zero-knowledge proofs (ZK). By then, some Ethereum validators will no longer re-execute transactions but will directly verify ZK proofs, fundamentally altering blockchain operation, with a scale comparable to Ethereum’s transition from PoW to PoS in 2022, known as “The Merge.”
Ethereum researcher Justin Drake stated that the first batch of validators will begin verifying ZK proofs for each block instead of re-executing all transactions, which will bring instant scaling effects to Layer1 and lay the groundwork for future 10,000 TPS. Currently, Ethereum mainnet throughput is about 30 TPS. Drake demonstrated during Devconnect that even an old laptop can complete ZK proof verification, and by the end of 2026, approximately 10% of validators are expected to switch to ZK verification mode (Lean Execution Phase 1). This shift will significantly reduce hardware requirements for validator nodes while maintaining network decentralization.
Ethereum Besu client engineer Gary Schulte pointed out that in the future, computationally intensive tasks will primarily be handled by block builders and ZK provers, while ordinary validators will only need to perform lightweight checks, creating conditions for raising the gas limit and overall throughput. On the roadmap, Ethereum is currently still in Phase 0 (voluntary verification), expected to enter Phase 1 (partial validator switch) in 2026, and move into Phase 2 in 2027, where block producers will be mandated to generate ZK proofs, achieving full ZK-based execution.
