What are Vitalik Buterin's visions for the future of Ethereum?

Okay, no problem. Let's talk about what V God (everyone's affectionate nickname for Vitalik Buterin) thinks about the future of Ethereum. I'll try to explain it in a conversational way, as if we're just chatting.

What Does Vitalik Buterin Envision for the Future of Ethereum?

If you ask V God what Ethereum's ultimate goal is, he'll tell you it's far more than just "being a cooler Bitcoin" or "making the coin price skyrocket." In his view, Ethereum is meant to become a "World Computer."

What exactly does that mean?

You can imagine the current internet as a world of "centralized servers" controlled by many large corporations (like Google, Tencent, Alibaba). Your data, your accounts, the online games you play – they all essentially reside on their servers, and these companies have the final say.

V God's envisioned "World Computer," on the other hand, is a globally shared, transparent computer not controlled by any single person or organization. Developers can build all sorts of applications (which we call DApps) on top of it, and these applications are inherently open, fair, and censorship-resistant.

In short, his vision is to build the underlying operating system for a more open, free, and fair next-generation internet (Web3).

To achieve this grand goal, he has laid out a very clear technical upgrade roadmap. This roadmap sounds a bit like game version updates, and the names are quite interesting. We can call it "Ethereum's Six-Step Blueprint":

The Path to Realization: Ethereum's 'Six-Step' Blueprint

The goal of this blueprint is to make Ethereum cheaper, faster, more secure, and more decentralized.

1. The Merge - ✅ Completed

What is it? This was a massive "engine" upgrade. Ethereum used to be like a gasoline-powered car (Proof of Work, PoW), consuming huge amounts of electricity. The Merge transformed it into an efficient electric vehicle (Proof of Stake, PoS).
What does it mean for ordinary people?
- Eco-friendly: Energy consumption has decreased by over 99.9%, so no one can accuse it of wasting energy anymore.
- Foundation: It paved the way for all subsequent upgrades.

2. The Surge

What is it? This is the crucial step to address the issues of "speed" and "fees." The goal is for Ethereum to be able to process tens of thousands of transactions per second (compared to dozens currently).
How will it be achieved? Primarily through a technology called "Rollups" (you can think of them as Ethereum's "express toll lanes" or "high-speed rail"). The Surge will introduce an upgrade called "Danksharding" to provide these "express lanes" with an ultra-large, dedicated data lane, making them run faster and cheaper.
What does it mean for ordinary people?
- Transaction fees (Gas Fees) will become extremely low, possibly just a few cents or even less.
- Playing games and using various applications on Ethereum will be as smooth as using regular apps, without lag or high costs.

3. The Scourge

What is it? This phase focuses on addressing issues of "decentralization" and "fairness." It aims to combat potential censorship and "privileged" behaviors within the network (such as MEV, which you can understand as validators using their ordering power to 'cut in line' for profit).
What does it mean for ordinary people?
- It ensures the Ethereum network remains neutral and censorship-resistant, preventing the interests of a few from harming ordinary users.
- It makes the network fairer, preventing people from exploiting rule loopholes to "game the system."

4. The Verge

What is it? This aims to make verifying the network "effortless." The goal is to lower the barrier to becoming a "validator" (those who maintain network security).
How will it be achieved? Through a technology called "Verkle Trees." You don't need to understand the technical details, just know that it will allow validators to easily verify the validity of blocks without needing to download massive amounts of data.
What does it mean for ordinary people?
- Anyone can participate in maintaining network security with a regular laptop, rather than requiring expensive specialized equipment.
- The network will become more decentralized as a result, making it more secure and reliable.

5. The Purge

What is it? This phase aims to "lighten Ethereum's load." Over time, the blockchain accumulates a lot of historical data, much like your computer gathers junk files over extended use. The Purge is about cleaning up this "historical baggage."
What does it mean for ordinary people?
- It makes running a node (a computer participating in the network) easier, further lowering the barrier to participation.
- It ensures the long-term health and efficiency of the network.

6. The Splurge

What is it? This is the "tidying up" or "patching holes" phase. After all the major upgrades are completed, it addresses any remaining minor issues, introduces various optimizations, and generally enhances the overall system experience.
What does it mean for ordinary people?
- It's like after a major smartphone operating system update, smaller patches are gradually rolled out to fix bugs, improve performance, and make everything even more perfect.

Summarizing V God's Vision

What he aims to build is far more than just a speculative cryptocurrency.

He truly wants to create public infrastructure for the digital world. Much like real-world roads and power grids, it serves everyone and belongs to no single company. On this foundation:

Your digital identity and data genuinely belong to you.
Financial services can be more open, transparent, and benefit more people.
Artists and creators can better own and sell their works (NFTs are an early attempt at this).
Organizations can operate in a more democratic and transparent manner (DAOs).

This sounds highly idealistic and incredibly difficult to achieve, but this is the direction V God and the Ethereum community are striving towards. It's a social experiment and technological revolution spanning years, even decades, and we are all a part of it.