Vitalik Buterin proposes a new “efficiency ratio” to more accurately measure the computational cost of cryptography in Ethereum.
What is the new proposal?
Ethereum is exploring new ways to measure and improve the performance of its cryptographic systems. The platform’s co-founder – Vitalik Buterin – is calling for a change in how developers evaluate cryptographic technologies like zero-knowledge proofs (ZK) and fully homomorphic encryption (FHE).
Instead of traditional metrics like “operations per second,” which are highly hardware-dependent, Buterin proposes a new indicator – the “efficiency ratio”. It is calculated as the ratio between the computation time with cryptography and the computation time without cryptography.
Advantages of the new metric
- Less dependency on the hardware environment
- Clearer representation of the real-world efficiency of cryptographic applications
- Easier for developers to assess the “cost” of cryptographic security
This approach clearly shows how much efficiency is lost when an app becomes cryptographic.
says Buterin.
Challenges in measuring cryptographic efficiency
Despite the benefits, Buterin acknowledges that measurement is not easy. The various types of computational operations (heterogeneous operations), the degree of parallelization (e.g., SIMD), and memory access patterns affect the results.
So even the “efficiency ratio” is not entirely hardware-independent. Nevertheless, Buterin considers it a useful and meaningful metric, especially for comparing different cryptographic systems.
FHE, MPC, and real-world scenarios
Crypto researcher Lukas Helminger raised the question of how to benchmark the overhead of fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) or multi-party computation (MPC). According to him, this is more complicated than with ZK proofs.
Buterin responded that FHE typically doesn’t involve network latency since the process is single-party. Only steps like sending input data or performing threshold decryption could cause minor delays.
In real blockchain scenarios with multiple nodes, there might be additional overhead, but raw execution time gives the clearest picture.
adds Buterin.
New breakthrough in Ethereum scaling
Recently, Brevis unveiled Pico Prism – a high-performance zkVM system for real-time block proving on Ethereum. With the help of 64 RTX 5090 GPUs, it proves 99.6% of blocks in under 12 seconds, with an average time of 6.9 seconds.
This breakthrough could increase Ethereum’s scalability by up to 100x and bring us closer to a time when blockchain validation could be done even from a smartphone.
Buterin noted this as:
A significant step forward in ZK-EVM proving speed and diversity.
The future of Ethereum powered by ZK technologies
Crypto investor Ryan Sean Adams highlights how Ethereum is taking a fundamentally different path compared to other blockchain platforms.
He envisions a future where Ethereum Layer 1 handles global DeFi with high throughput (10,000 TPS), and nodes are lightweight enough to run on a regular mobile phone. Layer 2 networks will take on the rest – from general-purpose platforms like Base and Arbitrum to specialized appchains.
Conclusion
Vitalik Buterin’s proposal for a new measurement method – the “efficiency ratio” – represents an important step toward more realistic assessment of cryptographic systems. Despite the challenges, this approach allows for a better understanding of the trade-offs between security and performance in blockchain technologies. With the development of technologies like zkVM and FHE, Ethereum continues to drive innovation that shapes the future of decentralized networks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions below.
It’s a metric comparing computation time with cryptography to raw computation time, aiming to show real performance cost.
Metrics like “operations per second” are hardware-dependent and may not reflect real-world cryptographic overhead.
Combined with zkVM innovations like Pico Prism, this metric helps developers optimize cryptographic processes, enhancing Ethereum's scalability potential.
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, legal or investment advice. Crypto-assets are highly volatile, so only invest funds that you are willing to lose and use your own research and risk management.
