Justin Drake Proposes Ethereum Beam Chain Upgrade at Devcon 2024

Blockchain researcher Justin Drake unveiled the Ethereum Beam Chain concept during Devcon in Bangkok. This proposed overhaul aims to consolidate several key advancements in the network.

The proposed Beam Chain will consolidate native support for zero-knowledge proofs and rapid finality into a single upgrade for the Ethereum network.

Ethereum Beam Chain to Address Legacy Issues of the Network

Drake described the Beam Chain as a step closer to Ethereum’s envisioned final form. He emphasized that the current Beacon Chain, introduced five years ago, is outdated. 

Significant technological progress has been made since its implementation, particularly in areas like maximal extractable value (MEV) mitigation and advancements in zero-knowledge technologies.

“The current beacon chain is kind of old. The specs were frozen five years ago, and in these five years, so much has happened. Particularly, we have a much better understanding of MEV (Maximal Extractable Value),” said Ethereum researcher Justin Drake in Devcon 2024. 

Drake highlighted that zk-SNARKs have become more efficient, and zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machines (zkEVMs) are now operational, offering enhanced scalability and privacy for blockchain applications.

This proposal marks the first major technological vision since the network’s transition to proof-of-stake over two years ago. The Merge, which replaced Ethereum’s energy-intensive proof-of-work model, was the last event to garner widespread enthusiasm. 

While the network has seen incremental updates since then, including improvements for layer-2 blockchains, the Ethereum Beam Chain could unify future upgrades under a more comprehensive framework.

Ethereum Beam Chain upgrade proposed timeline. Source: Ethereum Foundation

Unlike previous updates, the Ethereum Beam Chain proposal suggests bundling significant changes into one coordinated upgrade every few years while continuing with annual incremental improvements to address smaller technical needs.

The Ethereum Networks is Going Through Significant Changes

The Ethereum Beam Chain proposal comes on the back of several upgrade initiatives for the network. The foundation recently introduced the Mekong testnet, designed to trial features of the upcoming Pectra fork scheduled for 2025. 

This testnet provides a controlled environment for rigorous testing before deploying updates to the mainnet. Meanwhile, ENS Labs, responsible for Ethereum Name Service (ENS), unveiled a layer-2 scaling solution to improve the performance of blockchain-based identity systems.

ETH has also surged in value in the current bull market, gaining 29% over the past week to hit a three-month high of $3,184. Investor confidence appears strong, with increased holding times and reduced selling pressure.

At the same time, whale activity on the network has reached a 14-week peak. Transactions exceeding $1 million have surged to 8,482, reflecting heightened interest from large-scale investors.

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