Grass (grass) 
Vitalik Buterin recently addressed concerns raised by some members of the Ethereum community regarding the shift from the old proof-of-work model to a proof-of-stake consensus.
Amanda Cassatt, the founder and CEO of web3 marketing studio Serotonin, took to Twitter to highlight the dissatisfaction among several Ethereum proponents with the current state of the network. Cassatt emphasized that these views were not personal but rather reflected conversations she had been a part of.
The crypto founder listed reasons cited by some community members who expressed a preference for sticking with proof of work instead of transitioning to proof of stake. Vitalik Buterin, the co-creator of Ethereum, joined the conversation to explain that the proof of work design had drawbacks that did not align with the network’s long-term vision.
Since its inception in July 2015, Ethereum had initially adopted a proof-of-work consensus mechanism similar to Bitcoin. However, with “The Merge” in September 2022, Ethereum underwent a significant technological overhaul by transitioning to a proof-of-stake infrastructure, replacing miners with stakers.
Following the transition, there were mixed reactions among proponents. While some criticized the shift in Ethereum’s fundamental ethos, a group led by Chinese miner Chandler Guo attempted to maintain a version of Ethereum’s proof-of-work chain. However, this initiative faced challenges and struggled to gain momentum.
Meanwhile, Ethereum’s main proof-of-stake chain experienced a surge in validator numbers and staking demand. It was reported in February that over 25% of the circulating ETH supply had been locked away to secure the network and generate yield for participants.
Vitalik Buterin has proposed various measures to further decentralize staking and simplify Ethereum’s proof-of-stake model. The community continues to evolve as Ethereum navigates these changes.
