Vitalik Claims EIP-8288 Allows Ethereum to Support Multiple Cryptographic Schemes Without New Precompiles
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin stated that EIP-8288 enables Ethereum to support different cryptographic schemes without adding new precompiles.
The proposal uses locally generated STARK proofs and recursive aggregation to verify computations without putting the underlying data on-chain.
EIP-8288 expands the transaction frame, allowing transactions to carry lightweight dependencies, which are aggregated into a single recursive STARK by mempool nodes, with blocks only needing to verify that proof.
This can significantly reduce on-chain costs for post-quantum signatures and privacy transactions, for example, lowering quantum-safe privacy transaction costs from about 10 million gas to tens of thousands of gas.
New signature or proof schemes can be incorporated into the aggregation after being encapsulated as STARKs on the client side, with only the results visible on-chain, requiring no EVM modifications or additional precompiles.
At the market level, this mechanism shifts cryptographic computations from the on-chain main thread to the client and mempool, reallocating resources from block space to proof aggregation, benefiting developers and users with flexible cryptographic support, while paths relying on precompile extensions face pressure.
Supplementary information indicates that Vitalik hopes to include this proposal in the I-star upgrade after Hegota and emphasizes that Ethereum should serve as a cryptographic world computer rather than just a blockchain.
Source: Public Information
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Vitalik Buterin has long advocated for Ethereum's evolution towards post-quantum and scalable proofs, having previously proposed Frames and related EIPs, with a historical shift from account abstraction and precompile extensions to moving heavy computations off the main execution path.
His capital path is reflected in EIP-8288, which aggregates signatures and proofs into mempool recursive STARKs, shifting resources from limited calldata and block space to client-side proof generation, keeping on-chain verification lightweight.
Similar cases include other chains using zero-knowledge proof aggregation to reduce verification costs, as well as historical controversies over precompiles and EVM extensions in cryptographic support, with the current Ethereum protocol transitioning from on-chain cryptographic implementations to client-side proofs and aggregation verification.
Essentially, this represents a technical substitution: recursive STARK aggregation replaces precompiles and EVM handling of cryptography, confirming only the completion and results of computations on-chain without carrying raw data, thus avoiding the continuous addition of precompiles.
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- Heavy computations should be done on the client side, with on-chain only verifying aggregated results.
- Recursive STARKs allow for support of multiple cryptographic schemes without protocol changes.
- When block space is limited, not putting data on-chain is a path to maintain simplicity.