Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Boutherin summed up the researchers' meeting in Berlin by presenting the concept of Lean Ethereum - a series of updates for the next 3-4 years that will be the network’s "third major iteration" after The Merge. Key actions include switching to recursive STARK proofs, replacing vulnerable quantum attacks with algorithms, and updating the consensus mechanism. Also planned is the implementation of a multidimensional model of commissions and redesign of client architecture.

Quantum resilience and privacy have been given a higher priority, from the long-term goal of protecting against quantum computers to one of the main development focuses. Privacy is no longer seen as an optional feature - it is incorporated into the design of all new network components, from the membrane to storage systems. The developers also intend to expand the use of formal verification to enhance protocol security.

The most radical change Boutherin called a data storage model update: the network will keep the current state for complex applications but add an optimized format for tokens, NFT and DeFi. By 2030, Ethereum will be able to maintain ~2 TB of traditional status and up to 100 TB of new format. The team is also exploring a gradual transition to RISC-V or leanISA virtual machines with compatibility maintained through the compilation level.