2026-01-09 03:30:48

Recently, Vitalik mentioned an interesting analogy when discussing the future direction of Ethereum: viewing the Ethereum ecosystem as a combination of Linux and BitTorrent. This metaphor actually hints at an important signal—Ethereum's scaling strategy is undergoing subtle but profound changes.

**What is the key shift?**

The traditional view is that scaling means increasing transaction speed, but Vitalik's new approach prioritizes enhancing the network's "bandwidth"—that is, the total throughput per unit time—rather than solely focusing on reducing the latency of individual transactions. In other words, Ethereum doesn't want to be a "sprint athlete," but aims to become "an infrastructure capable of handling millions of concurrent loads."

This strategic adjustment has a direct impact on the ecosystem. Layer2 scaling solutions and Rollup technology will continue to strengthen, meaning DApp developers will have access to greater capacity, and the overall application throughput of the ecosystem will rise accordingly. From this perspective, it is indeed a positive signal.

**But the reality is much more complex**

Public chains like Solana focus on low latency and instant confirmation, which are advantageous in high-frequency trading and real-time applications. If Ethereum insists on pursuing a "bandwidth rather than speed" approach, could it be overshadowed in certain application scenarios? That remains a question.

Additionally, the technical choices for scaling routes have always been hot topics in community discussions. During the EIP-1559 upgrade, fierce debates arose over Gas fee design, and this time, discussions about prioritization could evolve into long-term community disagreements. In the short term, the market might also experience some volatility due to the argument of "not pursuing speed."

**How to understand this "Linux dream"?**

Linux creator Linus Torvalds opened the protocol to allow countless operating systems and applications to run on it. Vitalik seems to be hinting at a similar vision: in the future blockchain ecosystem, Ethereum could become the foundational protocol, with other public chains and application layers developing on this open-source infrastructure. It’s a grand ambition—whether it can be realized depends on the interplay of technology and market forces.

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gaslight_gasfeez

· 11h ago

Here comes another praise of Vitalik's Linux dream, it sounds quite grand, but I don't know when the gas fees will come down.

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MidsommarWallet

· 01-11 09:17

It's another bandwidth argument, sounds impressive, but whether it can actually be delivered is a different matter. Solana is already up and running, and you're still building infrastructure. Will users wait? L2 is taking the lead, V God is making promises. It's hard to say what kind of results this combination will produce. This time, the community will have to argue again. The gas fee issue was already enough of a hassle.

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LiquidationWatcher

· 01-10 11:10

Oh wow, Vitalik is at it again, making big promises. The bandwidth strategy sounds good, but can it really outperform Solana's speed advantage? Layer2 is really hot right now, which is a good thing, but it seems the community is about to start fighting again. The Linux dream sounds great, but it might take another few years to realize. Rollup technology is making progress, but gas fees are still outrageous. Is this a good sign? Ethereum wants to build a foundational protocol, which is fine, but first it should clean up the chaotic ecosystem. High bandwidth and throughput sound ambitious, but short-term market fluctuations are definitely a concern. Not pursuing speed as a core focus, but that might make it easier to be pushed out of the high-frequency trading race.

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GasBandit

· 01-09 11:39

It's the same old bandwidth vs. speed debate again. Vitalik wants to be the infrastructure guy, but Solana has already proven that users care about speed. --- Layer2 continues to take off, but the community is bound to argue again, this time more fiercely than EIP-1559. --- The Linux dream sounds beautiful, but can it really be achieved? This is uncertain. --- It sounds great, but the question is, who will save the gas fees? --- For Ethereum to be the big brother in infrastructure, it depends on whether other chains are willing to lower their stance. --- Prioritizing throughput over speed sounds like making excuses not to compete internally. --- If this rhetoric is actually implemented, there will definitely be a short-term crash. --- No matter how much Rollup pushes forward, user experience still can't compare to those chains that are simply faster.

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PumpDoctrine

· 01-09 04:00

Bandwidth isn't about chasing speed? Vitalik's idea is interesting, but it feels like the community is about to start a fight again.

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liquidation_watcher

· 01-09 03:56

V God's Linux dream feels a bit over the top, isn't it just to earn more gas fees --- Bandwidth doesn't equal real users, how fast it can run is the real metric --- Laughing to death, still making empty promises, Solana has already crushed in high-frequency scenarios --- Wait, wait, wait, will there really be community splits? Is it more serious than EIP-1559 this time? --- Open-source infrastructure sounds good but... who will pay the bill? --- Sounds nice, but actually just admitting defeat, acknowledging that they're slow --- Layer2 has been laid out so much, is anyone really using it?

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ConsensusDissenter

· 01-09 03:47

Bandwidth is not equal to speed; the logic is clear and straightforward. However, whether the market will buy into it is another matter.

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SerumSquirter

· 01-09 03:47

V God’s idea sounds good, but I still think Solana’s low-latency approach will be more popular in the short term. Even with high throughput, slow transactions are useless; in real scenarios, users will vote with their feet. Layer2 is indeed the direction, but whether the community can truly unify their thoughts remains uncertain. Linux’s dream is grand, but with such fierce ecological competition, it’s hard to say whether Ethereum can maintain its position as the foundational protocol. It still depends on the actual performance of subsequent Rollup technologies; no matter how many empty words there are, data speaks louder.

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SchrodingerGas

· 01-09 03:43

Here we go again with the hype. The bandwidth priority approach sounds good, but can on-chain data really speak? Solana's advantage of low latency has already been reflected in the order book. Now claiming to build infrastructure— isn't that just a game theory equilibrium of "I don't compete on speed, I compete on throughput"? It feels a bit like a latecomer. Whether Layer2 can truly seize this wave of benefits or if there's another round of arbitrage space depends on the on-chain evidence from the testnet snapshot, I need to see it to believe. Will the community cause a ruckus this time? Last time, EIP-1559 almost caused a upheaval. Now, with the priority change, we're probably headed into another gas war.

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