Vitalik Buterin Predicts Ethereum's 10X Scalability Boost in the Next Year

Ethereum's Blockchain Capabilities Set to Soar, Says Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin

In a recent address at ETHGlobal Prague 2025, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin shared his optimism about the network's future growth, predicting a tenfold increase in its blockchain capabilities within the next year.

While acknowledging past criticisms about Ethereum's speed and efficiency—especially when compared to newer competitors like Solana—Buterin expressed confidence in the network's ability to scale safely and effectively.

"In general, I do think there's a lot of room to scale safely," Buterin stated. "My view is that generally we should scale L1 by about 10x over the next year and a bit."

Ethereum has become a foundational platform for decentralized applications, including crypto exchanges and NFT-driven gaming. However, as usage on its first layer (L1) grows, congestion has led to higher costs and slower transaction times.

To combat these challenges, Buterin emphasized the importance of Layer-2 (L2) networks like Arbitrum and Optimism, which improve speed and reduce costs by operating atop Ethereum's main blockchain. Still, he acknowledged concerns that L2 solutions might eventually divert market capitalization away from Ethereum, potentially limiting its long-term price growth.

While some in the Ethereum community have pushed for a more aggressive 1,000x scaling plan, Buterin advocated for a cautious approach to avoid centralization risks. "A year would be great," he said. "There are people that are more brave than I am and don't believe in a take-a-breather step, and think we should literally commit today to 1,000x—but I don't believe in that."

Buterin's remarks highlight Ethereum's commitment to balanced growth—prioritizing security and stability while pursuing meaningful improvements in scalability over the coming year.