Share this article
New Code Released for Vlad Zamfir's Ethereum 'Casper' Upgrade
The Ethereum Foundation's lead developer for the Casper upgrade, Vlad Zamfir, uploaded the first version of the protocol's code to GitHub on Tuesday.
By Nikhilesh De
Updated Sep 13, 2021, 7:11 a.m. Published Nov 21, 2017, 9:30 p.m.
In this article
The initial version of the Casper proof-of-stake protocol upgrade from Ethereum developer Vlad Zamfir has been released.
Published on Tuesday
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
, the code – following its presentation at the Devcon3 event in Cancun earlier this month – aims to fundamentally rework how blocks are created and propagated on the ethereum network. It's actually one of two simultaneous bids to develop code for Casper, with the other arm being spearheaded by network creator Vitalik Buterin.
Zamfir's take on Casper comes several days after the publication of a white paper, titled "Casper the Friendly Ghost."
The paper focuses on "correct-by-construction consensus protocols," seeking to simplify how blockchains achieve consensus in a "partially synchronous network." In other words, it's trying to reduce the overall complexity of the blockchain.
This approach differs from Buterin’s own white papers on the upgrade. Buterin had previously released a three-part explanation of how his vision of Casper would operate.
While Zamfir's code release may represent on a small part of a bigger effort, its publication signals a new phase of development that will bring ethereum a step closer to overhauling the infrastructure that underlies the network.
As explained by CoinDesk, miners today discover and add new blocks through the proof-of-work process, in a way similar to how bitcoin functions (with some differences that are unique to ethereum, like the discovery of "uncle" blocks.)
This energy-intensive process is a competitive one, driving miners to purchase power-hungry graphics cards – a cycle that has led firms like AMD and Nivida to report significant revenues thanks to the renewed interest in cryptocurrency mining.
Yet Casper would, if and when fully realized, aim to shift away from this model entirely. Nodes could mine by essentially having funds deposited– the "stake" in proof-of-stake – and held over time, generating rewards as the node discovers each new block.
Candle image via Shutterstock
More For You
What to know:
- As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
- GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
- Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.
More For You
Coinbase Sees Crypto Recovery Ahead as Liquidity Improves and Fed Rate Cut Odds Climb
The crypto exchange also took note of a so-called AI bubble that continues to go strong and a weaker U.S. dollar.
What to know:
- Coinbase Institutional is seeing a potential December recovery in crypto, citing improving liquidity and a shift in macroeconomic conditions that could favor risk assets like bitcoin.
- The firm's optimism is driven by rising odds of Federal Reserve rate cuts, with markets pricing in a 93% chance easing next week, and improving liquidity conditions.
- Several recent institutional developments, including Vanguard's crypto ETF policy reversal and Bank of America's greenlighting of crypto allocations, have contributed to bitcoin's rebound from recent lows.
Top Stories
