Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed Lean Ethereum to improve the network’s quantum security with backing from Justin Drake.
In his regular quest to improve the Ethereum blockchain, co-founder Vitalik Buterin has devised a proposal that could improve the network’s quantum security. This time, the network co-founder examines how a “Lean Ethereum” roadmap may be utilized.
Lean Ethereum to Deliver Security, Simplicity, and Optimality
Buterin sat with researcher Justin Drake during a breakout session at the Forschungsingenieurtagung conference in Berlin to discuss the concept of Lean Ethereum. This framework aims to deliver security, simplicity, and optimality.
According to an X post from researcher Thomas Coratger, the roadmap could address the challenge of Layer-1 complexities while improving security. He went on to highlight how the roadmap requires post-quantum-ready signatures and reworked data availability. These features are crucial to guarding the ledger against future cryptographic threats.
1/ 🧵 What is lean Ethereum and why is it gaining momentum?
At Forschungsingenieurtagung in Berlin, @VitalikButerin and @drakefjustin laid out a bold vision for a simpler, more optimal Ethereum.
Here’s a deep dive into their R&D breakout session 👇
— tcoratger (@tcoratger) June 12, 2025
The simplicity would result from slimming down the consensus, execution, and data layers. All these will provide new contributors with an avenue to audit code without steep learning curves. Meanwhile, optimality is necessary to achieve lower latency and overhead, an outlook that can keep Ethereum competitive while it holds strongly to its decentralization.
While the Lean Ethereum roadmap looks promising, it remains a research framework without a scheduled hard fork proposal. Ethereum core developer teams are refining design documents and prototype features such as mini-3SF and evaluating trade-offs in working group calls.
ETH [NC] price has not recorded a significant gain despite Buterin’s proposal. For a coin trading at $2,700 two days ago, Ethereum has experienced a relapse and is now valued at $2,519.43.
This price outlook has not stopped Ethereum from overtaking Bitcoin in terms of contract trading volume. Data suggests that ETH contract volume soared past $111 billion on June 11, eclipsing BTC’s $87.5 billion.
Shares of SharpLink Gaming Drop by 70%
Amid these conversations and amendments, Ethereum treasury company SharpLink Gaming (SBET) has seen its shares plunge by over 70% in overnight trading. The dip took the SBET shares to around $10.55, a massive plunge from their peak price of $124.
This move reflects market volatility among other factors.
This was shortly after the company filed an S-3 registration statement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Through the filing, it requested approval to sell securities in the future.
The proposal to sell covers nearly 59 million shares of common stock, all of which are likely to be sold to existing investors. These are shares from pre-funded warrants, strategic advisor warrants, placement agent warrants, and other shares from a private placement.
Consensys CEO Joseph Lubin explained that this move does not mean SharpLink Gaming is selling many of its shares. It only allows existing investors to resell their shares if they want to. He emphasized strongly that this is a regulatory filing following private investment in public equity (PIPE), where the company raised $425 million.
Therefore, it should not be regarded as an indication of actual sales that are about to take place. Despite the explanation, the massive share selloff shows investors are worried about the broader impact on the firm and on ETH.
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