Vitalik Buterin reveals Ethereum’s transaction redesign

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin outlined a longer-term transaction model on Sept. 6 that could allow the network to process some validation work in parallel. Summary Buterin proposed separating transaction actions from dependencies so Ethereum can optimize each component independently later. Dependencies include signatures, state proofs and validity conditions that transactions must satisfy before execution begins. Pure dependencies could be checked once by mempools and later compressed into recursive STARK proofs. EIP-8141 proposes frame transactions with programmable validation, execution and gas payment inside one transaction format. Ethereum developers have not approved EIP-8141 for a mainnet upgrade or published deployment dates yet. His proposal separates the effects produced by transactions from the conditions that must be satisfied before those effects can occur. Buterin described the two components as “actions” and “dependencies” in a detailed post. Actions change Ethereum’s state, such as transferring ETH or calling a contract. Dependencies cover the information required to establish that a transaction is valid. A digital signature is one example of a dependency. Othe...