Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has shared a new research idea that has the potential to change the way Ethereum scales. On February 6, 2026, he proposed a concept called “hyperscaling.” This is basically a simple goal. That Ethereum needs to grow without becoming heavy, expensive, or difficult to run. His main focus is solving one of Ethereum’s biggest problems: state bloat.
⚡️ TODAY: Vitalik Buterin proposes hyper-scaling Ethereum by moderately scaling existing state.
This includes introducing cheaper, restricted forms of state for individual user objects such as ERC20 balances and NFTs. pic.twitter.com/gFN5Ip18MZ
— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) February 6, 2026
Why does the state of Ethereum matter?
ethereum “state” Data that all nodes must have. This includes account balances, smart contracts, NFTs, and even token holdings. Moreover, the more people use Ethereum, the better data will continue to grow.
As the size of the state increases, the cost of maintaining nodes increases significantly and can drive out small operators. This leads to a concentration of risks over time. Therefore, Buterin believes that Ethereum should not store all data forever, especially data that can be easily changed.
A new way to store tokens and NFTs
Buterin suggests creating a cheaper and more restricted kind of state. These are suitable for private assets such as ERC-20 tokens and NFTs. Additionally, they don’t work like today’s permanent storage.
One of the main ideas is to use a UTXO style model for tokens. In this system, ownership works as follows: “Spent” and ““Unused” record. That way, you can track your balance more efficiently with Ethereum without constantly rewriting your balance. This method already seems to work well for Bitcoin. That’s why Buterin thinks it might be possible to scale Ethereum up to 1,000 times without having to hold that much data.
Transient conditions and user responsibilities
In this model, some Ethereum hyperscaling data may expire after a certain amount of time. Unless the user saves proof of ownership, Ethereum will forget about it and the wallet will handle this job.
If the data expires, users can recover it by providing cryptographic evidence. This places some responsibility on your wallet. At the same time, the network becomes significantly lighter. Ethereum only holds important data; all other data is optional and temporary.
What this means for Ethereum
Ethereum’s hyperscaling could reduce transaction fees and also reduce the need for node hardware. This makes Ethereum easier to manipulate, but harder to centralize.
For users, this could mean cheaper transfers and smoother transfers $NFT use. For developers, it gives them space to build without worrying about state restrictions. This proposal is still being studied and could take several years to actually reach the network. However, this is a good sign that Ethereum is clearly heading in the right direction and is keeping the market informed.
