Ethereum is scrapping its plans to use custom Poseidon hash functions to prioritize security. This shift, announced by researcher Justin Drake, aligns with the views of Bitcoin pioneer Adam Back.
Justin Drake and the Pivot Away from Poseidon
Justin Drake, a researcher at the Ethereum Foundation, recently annonuced that the platform is completely shutting down its project to integrate the specialized Poseidon hash function.. According to the report, this decision marks a significant cryptographic pivot for Ethereum, as the network moves away from custom-built solutions in favor of security measures that have already been time-tested by the wider cryptographic community.
The move suggests a strategic retreat from the pursuit of specialized efficiency. By abandoning the Poseidon project, the Ethereum Foundation is prioritizing the robustness of its base layer over the potential performance gains offered by niche, zero-knowledge (ZK) optimized algorithms.
How Binius and Flook Ended the Need for Custom Hashes
For years, the industry believed that conventional cryptography was too computationally expensive for zero-knowledge systems. This technical limitation forced developers to create custom alternatives like Poseidon to reduce the overhead required for proofs. However, as reported by the source, the emergence of new proof systems has fundamentally changed the math.
The development of the Binius proof system in 2023 and Flook in 2024 has effectively neutralized the advantage of custom hashes. These new systems allow an ordinary laptop to process up to one million conventional hashes per second with minimal overhead. Because standard hashes are now computationally viable, the technical rationale for using Poseidon has vanished, rendering years of specialized development costs obsolete.
Adam Back’s Critique of 'Prover-Friendly' Algorithms
Adam Back, the CEO of Blockstream and a Bitcoin pioneer, has voiced strong support for Ethereum's decision. Back stated that he never trusted custom ZK-optimized algorithms because they lacked sufficient study by the global community. He specifically criticized "prover-friendly" hashes, claiming that such an approach consistently results in "under-reviewed quikry" code.
Back's philosophy centers on maximum reliability. He noted that even before the advent of general provers, he preferred to accept higher proving costs associated with standard hash algorithms rather than risk the vulnerabilities inherent in immature code. This perspective highlights a long-standing tension in blockchain development between those who prioritize cutting-edge optimization and those who demand conservative, proven security.
The 2027 LeanVM Launch and the Road to 2028
The transition to these standard security measures will be a multi-year process. The Ethereum Foundation plans to begin this rollout with the launch of the LeanVM virtual machine in 2027. The full implementation across the network's base layer is expected to be completed by 2028.
While the timeline is clear, several details remain unverified . It is currently unknown exactly how much in "development costs" the Ethereum Foundation is writing off after years of working on Poseidon. Additionally, the report does not specify if other ZK-related projects within the Ethereum ecosystem will be forced to migrate their existing Poseidon-based implementations to match the base layer's new standard.
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