Vitalik Buterin, creator of Ethereum, recently provided an update on the ETH roadmap, detailing significant progress and upcoming developments for the blockchain network. This follows the recent Dencun upgrade, implemented on March 13, which aims to reduce costs for layer-2 transactions and improve data availability.

The Dencun upgrade introduced proto-danksharding, also known as EIP-4844, which allows for the inclusion of data "blobs" in blocks. This upgrade marks a substantial improvement in network efficiency, building on the previous successes of the Merge and Shanghai upgrades.

The next in line are The Verge and The Purge upgrades. The first will see the integration of Verkle trees, which will enable stateless clients and reduce the cost of running a node. This change is anticipated to allow for a tenfold increase in the layer-1 gas limit, resulting in cheaper transactions. 

The latter aims to simplify the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) by removing certain features, such as the SELFDESTRUCT opcode and the 2,300 gas stipend. This simplification will streamline the EVM and enhance its efficiency.

In the latest post, Buterin noted that the ban on the SELFDESTRUCT opcode is nearly complete. While the opcode remains for now, its most problematic behavior — editing an unlimited number of storage slots simultaneously — has been addressed with the Dencun upgrade. This adjustment is an important step toward simplifying Ethereum’s protocol and improving its security and performance.

These updates highlight Ethereum's ongoing efforts to evolve into a more scalable and efficient blockchain.