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Ethereum News Update: Ethereum's Major Crypto Revamp: Increased Gas Fees for a Quantum-Secure Tomorrow

Ethereum News Update: Ethereum's Major Crypto Revamp: Increased Gas Fees for a Quantum-Secure Tomorrow

Bitget-RWA2025/11/11 03:18
By:Bitget-RWA

- Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin argues zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs require full homomorphic encryption (FHE) for post-quantum security and coercion resistance. - He identifies the modexp precompile as a major ZK scalability bottleneck, proposing its replacement with EVM code despite higher gas costs. - Removing modexp would streamline ZK-rollups but increase transaction fees by 15-25%, with Buterin emphasizing network-wide efficiency gains justify the trade-off. - Ethereum's cryptographic modernizatio

Vitalik Buterin, one of the founders of

, has once again stressed that zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs by themselves are not sufficient for post-quantum security, and must be paired with solutions such as fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) to address significant security gaps. In a recent conversation, Buterin pointed out that systems do not inherently prevent coercion in use cases like voting, making it necessary to use hybrid models that incorporate trusted execution environments (TEEs), multi-party computation (MPC), or FHE to uphold strong privacy protections . This perspective echoes widespread concerns among cryptographers about the shortcomings of ZK when used alone, especially as the rise of quantum computing threatens established encryption standards.

Ethereum News Update: Ethereum's Major Crypto Revamp: Increased Gas Fees for a Quantum-Secure Tomorrow image 0
Buterin’s advocacy for integrating ZK with FHE highlights a broader initiative to upgrade Ethereum’s cryptographic framework. He has also drawn attention to the modexp precompile—a legacy tool for modular exponentiation—identifying it as a key obstacle to scaling ZK solutions. According to Buterin, the fixed implementation of modexp can make ZK-EVM proof computations up to 50 times more complex than regular blocks, thereby limiting the performance of ZK-rollups and similar scaling methods . In a post on X dated November 3, Buterin labeled modexp as “by far the worst offender” in terms of ZK prover inefficiency, and advocated for an Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) to substitute it with equivalent EVM code, even though this would likely increase gas costs .

The modexp precompile, which was added to Ethereum in its early stages to speed up RSA encryption and digital signature operations, is now largely outdated in the context of SNARK-based cryptography. Buterin observed that only a small number of use cases, such as RSA verification and cross-chain bridges, still depend on modexp, and these could be migrated to newer cryptographic methods without sacrificing performance. Eliminating modexp would simplify the development of ZK-rollups, shorten proof generation times, and allow for quicker transaction finality. However, this would come at the cost of higher gas fees for certain transactions—estimated to rise by 15-25%—though Buterin believes the overall benefits to the network outweigh these drawbacks

.

Ethereum’s efforts to update its cryptography go beyond just modexp. Buterin has promoted protocols like GKR (Gatekeeper-Reduced), which can speed up complex mathematical checks on standard consumer hardware, and has called for more transparent performance benchmarks for ZK and FHE technologies. His strategy focuses on improving scalability and security, aiming to retire outdated precompiles and move toward modular designs that fit Ethereum’s post-Merge philosophy. Feedback from developers and events such as Devcon has been largely positive, with many agreeing that holding onto legacy features like modexp slows down innovation

.

For developers, replacing modexp marks a transition toward more autonomous EVM code, reducing reliance on specialized precompiles and improving compatibility across blockchains. As ZK-rollups evolve, users could benefit from reduced transaction costs, provided the proposed EIPs are successfully adopted. Buterin’s initiative demonstrates Ethereum’s ongoing dedication to innovation, ensuring the platform stays at the forefront of secure and scalable blockchain technology.

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Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.

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