# Ethereum Researchers Propose a Fourth Protocol Layer Built Around Memory

A research post argues that treating state as a managed memory layer could reshape how the network scales beyond execution and data.

- Published: 2026-06-27T10:26:58.470Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/crypto/2026-06-27/ethereum-researchers-propose-a-fourth-protocol-layer-built-a
- Publisher: Polylog (Crypto desk)
- Section: tech
- Sources: [Ethereum Research](https://ethresear.ch/t/ethereums-fourth-protocol-layer-memory/25305)

A post on the Ethereum Research forum proposes thinking about the protocol in terms of a fourth layer organized around memory. The author argues that early blockchain designs, including Bitcoin's, behaved less like a truly distributed compu…

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