Lubin: Ethereum could be ZK-proof in 3–5 years

Joseph Lubin, founder and CEO of Consensys, said Ethereum could transition to a protocol based on zero-knowledge proofs within three to five years. He tied the timeline to real-time ZK proving on Layer 2 networks and planned upgrades to the base layer, including the Lean Ethereum proposal.

Lubin described Layer 2 networks as an environment for testing ZK techniques. He pointed to projects such as Linea and Gnosis as examples that are using zero-knowledge proving to synchronize transactions across networks. Lubin recalled expecting ZK proofs to emerge first on Layer 2, and said those expectations are being met.

Lean Ethereum is a proposal from Ethereum researcher Justin Drake that aims to simplify the main chain and add advanced ZK cryptography. Lubin said combining Lean Ethereum with multiple formally verified provers could raise throughput and allow tighter integration between the base layer and Layer 2 execution environments. He estimated the full transition would take about three to five years.

On composability, Lubin described a possible single atomic execution context enabled by ZK proving. In such a model, users could move assets across Ethereum-based networks without bridges, which Lubin said would reduce fragmentation of liquidity. He added that ZK-based interoperability work is also being extended to permissioned enterprise chains built on Besu, a Consensys fork used by institutions including Citi, DTC and BNY Mellon.

Reflecting on earlier design choices, Lubin said the rollup-focused phase intentionally created separate execution environments so Layer 2 teams could develop and test technologies. He acknowledged that strategy fragmented liquidity while projects matured, but said it provided space for technical experimentation. He described the current phase as a move from divergence to convergence on composability and shared execution contexts.

Lubin also addressed governance within the Ethereum ecosystem. He dismissed the idea of a new, separate foundation and expects at least three groups to spin out of the Ethereum Foundation to concentrate on core protocol work, usability and scalability, and institutional outreach, while the Foundation will retain responsibility for CROPs components.

The comments come amid a broader reassessment of the rollup-centric roadmap by Ethereum developers and researchers. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has said the original vision for branded, semi-interconnected rollups did not fully play out. The Foundation has refocused on improving base-layer performance without compromising security or censorship-resistance, and has begun work on native privacy and quantum-resistant options alongside proposals that target higher transaction throughput.