Vitalik Buterin: Hegotá could be Ethereum's last 'normal' fork
In brief
- Hegotá (2027) could be Ethereum's last upgrade recognizable to users from 2015.
- Development will shift toward recursive STARKs, formal verification, and quantum-safe cryptography.
- Buterin describes the upgrade as marking Ethereum's evolution into a cryptographic world computer.
The Shift to a Cryptographic World Computer
PeerDAS marked the beginning of what Buterin called Ethereum's transition into a "cryptographic world computer." PeerDAS allows nodes to verify data availability by sampling portions of data rather than downloading everything, a fundamental change in how the network operates. This architecture moves beyond the traditional model where nodes download and re-execute every transaction.
The shift could reshape how Ethereum applications are built. Moving more computation offchain while using the base layer to verify results, settle transactions and preserve access to shared onchain state represents a departure from today's smart contract paradigm.
Implications for Applications and Users
Ethereum researcher Barnabé Monnot said moving computation offchain while committing to and proving the results onchain could significantly reduce the work required from the network and enable lighter nodes. Monnot argued that a "world computer" should still keep important records that its applications depend on directly onchain to let users see what is happening and interact with applications directly.
Pseudonymous commentator Cryptographic said the architecture could expand what decentralized finance applications can do by allowing more complex computation to occur outside smart contracts while Ethereum verifies compliance. Cryptographic cited DeFi lending as an example, where collateral analysis, liquidation routing, or matching borrowers and lenders could happen outside the chain before Ethereum verifies and settles the outcome.
Questions Remain on Adoption
Not everyone is convinced the shift will gain traction. Crypto lawyer Gabriel Shapiro questioned how much demand exists for proof-based systems compared with traditional trust-based models. Shapiro said that many existing financial services rely on reputation, regulation and legal enforcement rather than continuous cryptographic verification.
The debate reflects a broader tension in crypto development: whether the future lies in replacing traditional trust mechanisms entirely or in hybrid systems that blend cryptographic assurance with existing institutional frameworks.
