Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, has recently suggested a technology that could greatly improve the main network of Ethereum. This technology involves changing the current system to "Verkle trees," making the network more compatible with zero-knowledge proofs, which are methods of proving knowledge of some information without revealing the information itself.

Buterin highlighted the current challenges with Ethereum's underlying structure, specifically the "keccak Merkle Patricia trees." The main problem is the large "witness sizes" that are needed to prove a transaction, which can reach up to 300 MB. Such large sizes are not practical for processes that need to be lean and efficient, like zero-knowledge proofs.

In contrast, "Verkle trees" are designed with zero-knowledge proofs in mind. They use a different cryptographic technique and are based on a specific mathematical curve that is more suitable for this purpose. The switch to Verkle trees would help in applying zero-knowledge proofs to Ethereum's Layer 1.

Moreover, Polygon's zkEVM Type 1 has made significant progress in this technology, with the network processing proofs quickly with the necessary computational power. The Ethereum community is leaning towards adopting Verkle trees instead of modifying the existing system, as suggested in proposals like EIP-3102.

Improvements in efficiency and scalability generally have a positive impact on the value of digital assets. Implementing Verkle trees could lead to faster transactions and lower costs, which may attract more users and developers to the Ethereum network. This increased activity and demand could potentially drive up the price of Ethereum.