[Ethereum May Witness Key ZK Scaling Transformation in 2026] Researchers and developers anticipate that by 2026, some Ethereum validators will no longer re-execute transactions but will directly verify zero-knowledge proofs (ZK). This transformation is expected to rival the scale of Ethereum's 2022 transition from PoW to PoS, known as 'The Merge.' Ethereum researcher Justin Drake stated that the first batch of validators will verify ZK proofs for each block, bringing immediate scaling effects to Layer 1 and laying the foundation for future 10,000 TPS. Currently, Ethereum's mainnet throughput is approximately 30 TPS. By the end of 2026, it is estimated that around 10% of validators will switch to the ZK verification model, significantly reducing hardware requirements while maintaining network decentralization.