Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has posted a technical proposal aimed at simplifying the setup process for network validators. The proposal seeks to merge the two separate backend programs required to run an Ethereum node into a single, unified code structure. This initiative is part of a broader push to reduce reliance on professional node operators and make running personal infrastructure more accessible to ordinary users.
Vitalik Buterin has proposed merging the backend programs used by Ethereum nodes to interact with the Beacon Chain and the protocol’s execution layer. This technical change is intended to simplify node setup directly. Currently, Ethereum validators must run and synchronize two separate programs to coordinate data from the network’s consensus and execution layers.
This technical complexity prevents many ordinary users from running their own infrastructure. Buterin stated, “We need to reverse this. Running your own Ethereum infrastructure should be the basic right of every individual and household.” He argued that high hardware requirements should not justify high operational skill demands.
Buterin has previously advocated for other decentralization measures, including partially stateless nodes. In May 2025, he proposed nodes that would not maintain the full block history. This approach reduces hardware costs and data storage for users running nodes for personal transactions and verification.
Disk space is often the primary bottleneck for node operators, according to Go-Ethereum (GETH). Buterin has expressed concern over a market structure dominated by a few remote procedure call providers, which can pressure censorship. Buterin also recently disclosed setting aside 16,384 Ether, worth about $45 million, from his personal holdings to support privacy-preserving technologies and open hardware.
