TL;DR
- Vitalik Buterin believes that advances in zkEVM speed now allow developers to focus their efforts on improving security.
- The Ethereum co-founder outlined three priorities involving formal verification, proof generation costs, and cryptographic security.
- ETH is trading near $2,365, approximately 15% below its late-September highs.
Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, urged teams developing zkEVM systems to prioritize security following advances in cryptographic proof generation speed.
In a post on X, Buterin congratulated the ZKsync Airbender team on reaching a new technological milestone and said the race to improve the speed of these systems is now virtually over.
zkEVMs allow Ethereum transactions to be verified using zero-knowledge proofs, a technology that enables transaction validation without having to repeat all the original computations.
Big congratulations to the @zksync airbender team for this milestone.
At this point, I consider the battle for speed to be definitively won, and the top priority for zkEVMs should shift fully to security.
To me that means formally verifying
(i) equivalence of the…
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) October 15, 2026
Buterin Outlines Three Priorities for zkEVM Systems
Vitalik identified three fundamental goals that development teams should address through formal verification techniques.
The first involves mathematically proving that the generated proofs match the Ethereum specifications exactly, preventing errors that could compromise transaction validation.
The second aims to establish a strict upper limit on proof generation costs based on the gas used by each block. An excessively expensive system could prevent smaller operators from participating in the infrastructure, undermining decentralization.
The third priority is ensuring the security of the cryptographic proof system itself, particularly as Ethereum becomes increasingly dependent on zero-knowledge proofs.
Buterin believes these issues must be addressed before the technology takes on greater responsibilities within the network.
Ethereum Market Performance
Ethereum (ETH) is currently trading around $2,365, approximately 15% below the $2,800 high recorded in late September.
The asset has fallen below the moving averages near $2,490 and $2,550 and is currently trading close to the $2,360 support level.
Another technical level stands near $2,305, slightly below the recent low of $2,313.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is hovering around 38, while trading volume remains moderate. A recovery above $2,490 could improve the outlook, although selling pressure persists.
Buterin’s recommendations focus on Ethereum’s technological development and do not propose measures directly related to ETH’s market price.
