lean Ethereum Part 1: Introduction with Justin Drake
18 February 2026

lean Ethereum Part 1: Introduction with Justin Drake

Zero Knowledge

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dad2UonQ9Ag&feature=youtu.be In this episode, Nico Mohnblatt sits down with Justin Drake from the Ethereum Foundation to kick off a miniseries on lean Ethereum, a bold vision to rethink Ethereum’s consensus, data, and execution layers. Justin outlines how post-quantum cryptography, faster finality, and enshrined zkEVMs fit together into a cohesive redesign. At the heart of it is leanVM, an ultra-minimal zkVM built to aggregate hash-based signatures and recursively verify proofs, potentially turning post-quantum migration into a scalability win. They also explore formal verification efforts, the shift from conjectured to provable proximity gaps, Poseidon2 as a hash candidate, and how this work could set a post-quantum standard not just for Ethereum, but for other blockchains as well. This episode sets the stage for deeper dives in coming episodes. Related Links
    Ethproofslean EthereumLean Consensus R&D ProgressPoseidon2: A Faster Version of the Poseidon Hash Functiongithub.com/leanEthereum/leanSpecgithub.com/leanEthereum/leanMultisig

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