Buterin calls to simplify Ethereum node setup

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin posted a proposal, a pull request, that would merge the backend programs used by nodes to interact with the Beacon Chain, which handles consensus and staking, and the protocol’s execution layer into one unified code structure to simplify node setup.

Node runners, or validators, currently must run two separate programs that each require setup and synchronization to coordinate data produced by the consensus and execution layers. This raises technical complexity, prevents ordinary users from running their own infrastructure and pushes reliance on third-party providers.

"It is not. We need to reverse this. Running your own Ethereum infrastructure should be the basic right of every individual and household," Buterin wrote, adding that "nodes should be easy." In May 2025, Buterin proposed partially stateless nodes that do not maintain the full block history and only keep the data the node runner requires.

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