.jpg)
Justin Drake, a researcher at the Ethereum Foundation, presented a transformative proposal to upgrade a new consensus layer called “Beam Chain” during his conference on November 12. Presentation At DevCon in Bangkok.
Beam Chain is a major overhaul of Ethereum’s consensus layer, which will bring the blockchain network closer to its final architecture.
Drake noted that the current Beacon Chain, which has been around for five years, is outdated. During this time, research and technology have advanced significantly, opening new opportunities for improvement in critical areas, including… M.E.V (maximum extractable value), provided Snark techniquesand addressing technical debt.
Beam series
Drake explained that his proposal builds on the progress made during this period and aims to update the Ethereum consensus layer with the latest developments in blockchain technology.
Therefore, the Beam Chain will prioritize faster finality and higher throughput, allowing a transaction to be completed faster within three slots.
Staking requirements will also be reduced, allowing participants to Stake with only 1 ETH Instead of the current 32 ETH. This reduction will make the Ethereum staking process accessible to a wider range of participants.
Furthermore, Drake also outlined plans to strengthen censorship resistance in block production by introducing a separation between validator and proposer.
On the cryptographic side, the proposal aims to “SNARKify” the consensus layer, enhancing security and performance while preparing the network for future quantum threats.
Although the Beam series will include major changes, Drake stressed that it will not change the roadmap. Instead, it combines many of the planned improvements into one comprehensive package. The goal is to remove technical debt from the pre-merger period and pave the way for significant performance gains.
Therefore, Beam Chain will keep Ethereum safe and helpful Network optimization.
If Beam Chain receives enough support from the community, developers could start drafting specifications next year, followed by development in 2026 and testing in 2027 before it becomes safe to deploy on the Ethereum mainnet.
