For Ethereum, 2024 was a year of wins and struggles. On one hand, ETH didn’t join Bitcoin in setting a new all-time high in December and lagged behind in market cap performance. On the other hand, the blockchain saw technological progress and continues to host the most diverse ecosystem.
In 2025, Ethereum is set for more changes, with confirmed updates and proposals that still need to be specified and approved.
These expected developments could positively impact the network by expanding the number of apps and attracting more investors, which may potentially drive the price up.
One of the most discussed proposals is Beam Chain, which suggests a redesign of Ethereum’s consensus layer.
Why does this matter, and what solutions does Beam Chain propose? Read on to find out.
Well, since September 2022’s Merge event, Ethereum has relied on the Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism. The blockchain’s architecture suggests that network participants called validators are required to stake ETH tokens to propose and validate blocks of transactions.
Ethereum’s consensus layer that handles staking coordination is the Beacon Chain, designed over 5 years ago. Beacon Chain went live in December 2020 as a separate chain of empty blocks to ensure the logic works as intended before staking became functional on the mainnet.
As the leading smart contract platform, Ethereum is growing fast with more users and applications. However, its current setup could struggle to keep up with rising demand and can deter adoption by leading to network congestion and high gas fees. All these factors highlight the need for Ethereum’s continued improvements.
With moving from Proof-of-Work consensus to Proof-of-Stake, Ethereum started a new era, called Ethereum 2.0. This move made Ethereum way more energy-efficient and set the stage for scaling solutions like sharding and future upgrades.
Speaking of future upgrades, Ethereum has a long-term plan. The network’s development roadmap after the Merge includes phases called The Surge, The Verge, The Purge, The Splurge, and The Scourge.
Each phase focuses on improving specific aspects of the network, like scalability and decentralization.
Despite this broad strategy, Ethereum’s development heavily depends on community feedback, thorough proposal reviews, and finding effective ways to meet its goals.
The idea is to improve the network’s scalability, security, and performance. Beam Chain is still in the proposal stage and if confirmed, it will replace Beacon Chain.
These expected developments could positively impact the network by expanding the number of apps and attracting more investors, which may potentially drive the price up.
One of the most discussed proposals is Beam Chain, which suggests a redesign of Ethereum’s consensus layer.
Why does this matter, and what solutions does Beam Chain propose? Read on to find out.
Isn’t Ethereum Already Working Fine?
First of all, you may ask what the function of the consensus layer is and why it needs a redesign.
Well, since September 2022’s Merge event, Ethereum has relied on the Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism. The blockchain’s architecture suggests that network participants called validators are required to stake ETH tokens to propose and validate blocks of transactions.
Ethereum’s consensus layer that handles staking coordination is the Beacon Chain, designed over 5 years ago. Beacon Chain went live in December 2020 as a separate chain of empty blocks to ensure the logic works as intended before staking became functional on the mainnet.
How the Beacon Chain works. Source: ethereum.org
Since then, cryptography and blockchain have advanced quite a bit.
As the leading smart contract platform, Ethereum is growing fast with more users and applications. However, its current setup could struggle to keep up with rising demand and can deter adoption by leading to network congestion and high gas fees. All these factors highlight the need for Ethereum’s continued improvements.
With moving from Proof-of-Work consensus to Proof-of-Stake, Ethereum started a new era, called Ethereum 2.0. This move made Ethereum way more energy-efficient and set the stage for scaling solutions like sharding and future upgrades.
Speaking of future upgrades, Ethereum has a long-term plan. The network’s development roadmap after the Merge includes phases called The Surge, The Verge, The Purge, The Splurge, and The Scourge.
Each phase focuses on improving specific aspects of the network, like scalability and decentralization.
Despite this broad strategy, Ethereum’s development heavily depends on community feedback, thorough proposal reviews, and finding effective ways to meet its goals.
What Is a Beam Chain? Justin Drake’s Proposal
At the Ethereum Devcon event in November, researcher Justin Drake presented a redesign for Ethereum’s consensus layer, called Beam Chain.
The idea is to improve the network’s scalability, security, and performance. Beam Chain is still in the proposal stage and if confirmed, it will replace Beacon Chain.
Like Beacon Chain, Beam Chain will focus only on the consensus layer, leaving the execution and data layers for transactions and smart contracts untouched.
According to Justin Drake, the network may benefit from the Beam Chain and the use of tech breakthroughs like zk-SNARKs.
Key Improvements in Beam Chain: Why Is It a Big Deal?
With Beam Chain’s implementation, Ethereum may take a leap forward. Justin Drake’s proposal includes a bulk of key improvements, for which it has started a buzz among the crypto community.
Here’s a breakdown of the key improvements Beacon Chain suggests:
1. Radical Speed Enhancements: Currently, Ethereum finalizes transactions in about 10-15 minutes according to BeaconScan, though it can sometimes be faster under optimal network conditions. With Beam Chain, the goal is to reduce that to just a few seconds. It achieves this by using a combination of faster block times and advanced cryptographic methods, allowing the network to process blocks in record time.
2. Lower Entry Barrier for Validators: To become a validator on Ethereum, users now need at least 32 ETHs. Beam Chain plans to drop this requirement to just 1 ETH. This is huge because it democratizes Ethereum staking, allowing far more people to participate in securing the network. The move will strengthen decentralization because when more small-scale validators come in, the power gets distributed further.
3. Advanced Cryptographic Integration: Beam Chain will heavily leverage zero-knowledge proofs (ZK proofs) and quantum-resistant cryptography, adding a massive layer of security. Utilizing SNARKs can batch multiple signatures into a single proof, ensuring transactions are verified efficiently and securely without exposing sensitive data. Meanwhile, cryptographic techniques future-proof Ethereum against potential threats posed by quantum computing, ensuring long-term robustness.
Key improvements Beam Chain proposes. Source: Ethereum Foundation
4. Massive Scalability Boost: Ethereum's current architecture struggles with handling high transaction volumes. Beam Chain addresses this by rethinking scalability entirely, enabling much higher throughput for global adoption. A key feature is zkEVMs (Zero-Knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machines), which use zero-knowledge proofs to process transactions off-chain efficiently, boosting scalability while maintaining security and decentralization.
What Is the Timeline for Beam Chain's Proposal Review and Implementation
Currently, Beam Chain is still in the proposal stage, with technical details being finalized. The upgrade suggests many changes at once which is challenging and requires extensive testing.
If approved, the update may be implemented by 2030. According to Justin Drake’s proposed timeline, 2025 can be a start for drafting Beam Chain’s specifications, building can start in 2026, and testnet trials can take place in around 2027.
If all goes well, we could see the Beam Chain live on the mainnet by 2029.
Although Beam Chain may start a new era for Ethereum consensus, it would be wrong to call it Ethereum 3.0. As Justin Drake mentioned in his presentation Beam Chain focuses solely on overhauling the consensus layer. It doesn't introduce a new token or network but builds upon Ethereum's existing infrastructure to enhance performance and security.
Proposed timeline for the Beam Chain upgrade. Source: Ethereum Foundation
What Is Expected for Ethereum in 2025?
2025 promises big changes for Ethereum. The implementation of the Pectra upgrade, scheduled to start in early 2025, will optimize Layer 2 rollups, reducing transaction costs and improving speed. It’s also expected to offer better tools for developers and reduce the cost of data storage.
Meanwhile, research into Beam Chain will likely enter a critical phase, shaping Ethereum’s future roadmap.
With ongoing upgrades and proposals, Ethereum is set to strengthen its position as the leading blockchain. Metrics such as developer activity, total value locked, and trading volume make it highly likely that Ethereum will maintain its dominance in the ecosystem. By advancing scalability and efficiency, the network will continue to support growing demand, attract developers, and drive progress for ETH and the broader ecosystem.
FAQ
- Why Beam Chain Is Important?
Beam Chain is an ambitious proposal aimed at addressing Ethereum’s key challenges. It seeks to solve issues like slow transaction finality, high barriers to staking, and the need for stronger security against future threats. If implemented, it could make Ethereum faster, more decentralized, and better equipped for long-term growth.- How Beam Chain Will Improve Ethereum?
Beam Chain will reduce transaction finality time to just a few seconds, making Ethereum much quicker for users. It also lowers the staking requirement from 32 ETH to 1 ETH, allowing more people to participate as validators, which enhances decentralization. Plus, it incorporates advanced cryptographic techniques like zero-knowledge proofs and quantum-resistant cryptography, making the network more secure and scalable.- When Will Beam Chain Be Implemented?
Beam Chain is still in the proposal stage, so it’s a long-term project. Development of the specifications is expected by 2025, with coding in 2026, testing in 2027, and a potential launch on the mainnet by 2029 if everything goes smoothly.- Is Beam Chain Related to the Beam Gaming Ecosystem?
No, Beam Chain has nothing to do with the Beam Gaming Ecosystem. Beam Chain is specifically a proposal for redesigning Ethereum’s consensus mechanism, while the Beam Gaming Ecosystem is focused on gaming and entertainment platforms. They’re completely unrelated.
Anahit Avetisyan
Author
Web3 writer and crypto HODLer with a keen interest in market trends and recent technologies.
