Support Bandwidth, Not Latency: Vitalik's Ethereum Foundation for Sustainable Scaling

Vitalik Buterin shared on X his primary human need and blockchain development: bandwidth expansion offers a more stable path toward Ethereum scalability than latency reduction. This is not merely a technical preference—it is a fundamental choice that will define the future of distributed systems.

Why Bandwidth Is the Safer Path?

The secret lies in physics. Latency is tightly controlled because of an uncompromising environment: the speed of light. There is no engineering miracle that can change this. If we make blockchain faster through latency reduction, we need to focus network infrastructure on data centers close to each other—a guaranteed way to centralize.

Bandwidth, on the other hand, offers flexibility. With the help of PeerDAS and ZKP technologies, we see the theoretical potential to scale Ethereum thousands of times in quality. Each node can receive more data in parallel, and the system remains decentralized.

The Three Critical Barriers to Latency Optimization

The bandwidth-first approach addresses needs that latency reduction cannot solve:

First: Global Node Distribution in the Real World
Not all operators have access to premium infrastructure. Validators in rural areas, home setups, and commercial locations need to start a business. If the system is optimized for data center speed, its nodes will suffer a 10% rewards penalty outside New York. The result? Everyone will migrate to a few centralized hubs.

Second: Censorship Resistance and Anonymity Threats
Latency-optimized networks require validators to be always online and in high-bandwidth zones. This contradicts privacy and regulatory evasion—core principles that humans need.

Third: The “Walkaway Test” for Ethereum
The blockchain should sustain even without coordinated social effort. If economic incentives depend on continuous cooperation to maintain decentralization, the system is fundamentally fragile. Bandwidth-heavy architecture offers a more robust economic foundation.

How to Still Reduce Latency Responsibly

There is no trade-off scenario, and practical improvements are still possible:

• P2P Network Enhancements: Erasure codes can reduce message propagation time without requiring each node to upgrade bandwidth capacity
• Availability Chains with Fewer Validators: A subnet with 512 nodes in a 30,000-node area can eliminate aggregation steps, speeding up the critical path within a slot timeframe
• Expected Outcome: 3–6x latency improvement is a realistic target; achieving 2–4 seconds is entirely feasible

Ethereum as a Global Heartbeat, Not a Global Game Server

Here, Vitalik’s philosophy shifts to a broader vision: Ethereum should not be ultra-fast gaming infrastructure. It is the heartbeat of the entire world. Applications faster than the heartbeat require off-chain components—that is the long-term role of Layer 2 solutions.

In the future, AI will trigger new needs. An AI thinking 1000x faster than humans has its own “speed of light”—only 300 km/s in their subjective perception. Therefore, city-level blockchains and single-building chains are inevitable, and everyone should become L2s specialized for localized needs.

Conclusion: Ethereum for Earth, Flexibility for All

The bandwidth-first philosophy ensures that Ethereum remains accessible, decentralized, and resilient. While latency optimization aims to squeeze every millisecond, Vitalik’s approach prioritizes sustainable, global participation—the true human need in the Web3 era.