The Ethereum Foundation has unveiled a detailed roadmap for a fundamental architectural shift in Ethereum's Layer 1 (L1) block validation process, moving from traditional transaction re-execution to verification via zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs). This initiative, known as the L1-zkEVM 2026 roadmap, centers on Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 8025, which introduces "Optional Execution Proofs."
Currently, every Ethereum node must independently re-execute all transactions in a block to verify its correctness. While secure, this process becomes increasingly resource-intensive as network activity grows, raising hardware requirements for validators and potentially threatening decentralization.
EIP-8025 proposes a new model. Instead of re-running computations, validators—potentially called "zkAttesters"—could verify a succinct zero-knowledge proof that attests to the block's correct execution. This cryptographic verification would take approximately the same time regardless of block complexity, promising a significant scalability boost and a reduction in the computational, storage, and bandwidth demands on node operators.
The Ethereum Foundation has structured the development effort into six key work areas: prover infrastructure, consensus layer integration, execution witness and guest program standardization, zkVM guest APIs, benchmarking tools, and formal security verification.
A major milestone is set for February 11, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. UTC, with the first L1-zkEVM breakout call/workshop. This event will kick off formal development coordination among community members, developers, and researchers. The proposal is designed to be optional, allowing nodes to continue validating blocks traditionally while others adopt proof verification, aiming to lower hardware barriers and make running a validator on consumer hardware feasible again.
If successfully implemented, this shift could enable Ethereum to handle substantially increased activity while preserving its decentralized and accessible verification model, marking one of the most significant architectural updates in the network's history.
