- Ethereum researcher Justin Drake has introduced “Lean Ethereum,” a plan to simplify the blockchain’s codebase.
- The proposal aims to improve security, increase transaction speeds, and prepare for future threats such as quantum computers.
- Drake’s ideas include upgrading Ethereum’s Beacon chain and execution layer, targeting higher efficiency and less complexity.
- The plan has early support from the Ethereum Foundation, which published an official explainer in July 2025.
- Possible performance gains include handling 10,000 transactions per second on the main layer and up to 10 million on auxiliary (layer 2) networks.
Justin Drake, a researcher with the Ethereum Foundation, has proposed a plan called “Lean Ethereum” that would streamline the blockchain’s code. The objective is to make Ethereum safer, faster, and more resilient as it enters its second decade.
The “Lean Ethereum” approach seeks to reduce the complexity of Ethereum’s codebase. According to Drake, this could deliver greater security and allow the platform to process as many as 10,000 transactions per second on Ethereum itself and up to 10 million on layer 2 blockchains—secondary systems that help scale the main blockchain. This would amount to a massive increase in capacity compared to Ethereum’s recent activity. Drake wrote, “Lean Ethereum is a generational oath to keep Ethereum online no matter what — to scale it without compromise.”
The Ethereum Foundation released an official explainer about Lean Ethereum in July. Drake’s initial proposals focused on upgrading the Beacon chain, which manages transaction validation and staking. Over time, Drake expanded the project to include Ethereum’s execution layer, which is where users actually submit their transactions.
This renewed focus on efficiency comes after concerns over Ethereum’s market performance compared to faster rivals like Solana. However, interest in Ether has recently surged, with new exchange-traded funds and large companies increasing their cryptocurrency holdings. U.S. lawmakers have also allowed banks and tech companies to issue stablecoins, most of which run on Ethereum.
Drake’s earlier plan was called “beam chain,” but a trademark dispute led him to pursue a different name with broad appeal. The core idea is to streamline code and remove unnecessary features. Engineer Sophia Gold described this as “Ethereum entering the Ozempic era,” making reference to a popular weight loss medication.
Drake argues Lean Ethereum could scale without losing decentralisation, thanks to advances in cryptography and data sampling. More details can be found in his recent blog post.
Other news includes ongoing developments in DeFi governance, such as Arbitrum DAO voting on delegate incentives, CoW DAO’s proposed rewards changes, and a new grants program from dYdX Foundation valued at $8 million.
Additionally, the jury is deliberating in the criminal trial of Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm. One juror was excused early due to a personal engagement, which was noted on social media.
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