 
 
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has outlined what he sees as the network’s next phase of scaling, offering a more nuanced roadmap for growth as on-chain activity accelerates and institutional capital re-engages with ETH.
Buterin’s comments come as Ethereum is attempting to regain technical footing after a difficult month, supported by a broader macro rebound and strengthened tokenized-asset flows.
In a new X post, the Ethereum co-founder said the ecosystem should expect “continued growth but more targeted / less uniform growth” over the next year. Vitalik floated one possible path forward: a 5× increase in the gas limit paired with a 5× rise in gas costs for operations that create inefficiency at the execution layer.
Among the areas Buterin listed as candidates for higher costs were SSTORE operations (particularly when new storage is created), certain complex arithmetic opcodes, calls to contracts with large code size, precompiles (excluding elliptic-curve functions), and slight increases to calldata costs.
Buterin’s remarks follow the community’s push for higher gas limits, with Ethereum now running at a 60-million-block gas limit, double what it was just a year ago.
 
Tokenized Assets Reemerge as ETH’s Market Anchor
According to recent market analysis, the total value of tokenized assets on Ethereum, including stablecoins, has repeatedly set the floor for ETH’s market cap.
Analysts argue the real test will be whether this tokenized base can continue to anchor Ethereum’s downside as the ecosystem expands.
Meanwhile, market performance this week offers a hint of renewed confidence. ETH rose 7.46% in the last 24 hours, reversing part of a steep 30-day decline.
Gains tracked a wider market rebound, supported by expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts and increased dollar liquidity. Whales also accumulated approximately $22 million in ETH during recent dips, easing sell pressure and helping the asset reclaim key moving averages.
Traders now watch two critical levels: $3,000 for near-term stability, and the broader $3,800–$4,200 zone, where a decisive break could revive the long-discussed path toward $5,000.