Ethereum could become a fully zero-knowledge (ZK) proof-based protocol within three to five years, according to Consensys CEO Joe Lubin, as the ecosystem enters a “convergence phase” that aims to unify liquidity and strengthen the base layer alongside Layer 2s. In an interview with The Block, Lubin endorsed the rollup-centric roadmap but stressed that scaling the Layer 1 is essential — a vision embodied by initiatives like “Lean Ethereum,” proposed by Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake, which leverages cutting-edge ZK cryptography to simplify the mainchain and push throughput beyond 10,000 transactions per second without sacrificing decentralization.
Lubin described a future where real-time ZK proving, already live on some L2s, is brought to the L1, eventually making Ethereum a multi-prover, ZK-native protocol. This could enable a “single atomic execution context” across Ethereum-based networks, allowing users to move assets without bridges and unify fragmented liquidity. He noted that the previous “divergence phase” — during which optimistic rollups entered quickly while ZK tech matured — was intentional, seeding pricing power for experimentation. Now, the ecosystem is turning toward composability and will soon have “essentially infinite capacity” as these technologies are built out.
Meanwhile, a draft token standard, pERC-20 (ERC-7605), proposes making token transfers private by default by embedding ZK proofs directly into the contract. Unlike wrappers, pERC-20 replaces the ERC-20 interface entirely — there is no public balance, approve, or transferFrom. It uses a ZK-UTXO model inspired by Zcash’s Orchard notes and Groth16 proofs, allowing balances to exist as encrypted notes spendable exactly once. A deliberate compliance blacklist mechanism is included, framing it as regulation-aware infrastructure. The proposal is still in draft, needing full ERC review, but if adopted, it would make Ethereum’s default token layer a private-by-design system.
Lubin also addressed governance concerns, dismissing the idea of a “second foundation” and revealing that at least three groups will spin out of the Ethereum Foundation to focus on core protocol work, usability, and institutional outreach, while the EF itself concentrates on CROPs components.
