Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake introduced an innovative proposal for a new consensus layer upgrade called “Beam Chain” in a November 12 presentation at DevCon in Bangkok.
Beamchain is a complete overhaul of Ethereum's consensus layer, bringing the blockchain network closer to its final architecture.
Drake pointed out that the current beacon chain, which has been in place for five years, is outdated. During this time, research and technology have advanced significantly, opening up new opportunities for improvement in key areas such as MEV (Maximum Extractable Value), advancements in SNARK technology, and tackling technical debt.
beam chain
Drake explained that his proposal builds on advances made during this period and aims to bring Ethereum's consensus layer up to date with the latest developments in blockchain technology.
Therefore, Beam Chain prioritizes faster finality and higher throughput, allowing faster finalization of transactions within three slots.
Staking requirements will also be relaxed, allowing participants to stake just 1 ETH instead of the current 32 ETH. This reduction will make Ethereum staking more accessible to a wider range of participants.
Drake also outlined plans to strengthen censorship resistance in block generation by introducing separation between verifiers and proposers.
On the cryptographic front, the proposal aims to “SNARKize” the consensus layer, improving security and performance while preparing the network for future quantum threats.
Although the beam chain will involve significant changes, Drake emphasized that the roadmap remains unchanged. Instead, the various planned improvements are combined into one comprehensive package. The goal is to eliminate technical debt from the pre-integration period and set the stage for significant performance improvements.
Therefore, Beamchain maintains the security of Ethereum and helps improve the network.
If Beamchain receives enough support from the community, developers could start drafting the specification next year, followed by development in 2026 and testing in 2027 before it can be safely deployed to the Ethereum mainnet. There is a possibility that it will happen.
