Ethereum's long-term evolution has reached a critical stage as Vitalik Buterin advances the concept of "stakeability"—the idea that the network can "freeze" without losing functionality even if key developers disappear.
The vision, first introduced in 2024 as part of the withdrawal test, positions Ethereum as more than just a platform for decentralized applications (dApps), transforming it into a trustless foundation capable of operating independently for decades to come.
Ethereum's Hardening Roadmap by Vitalik Buterin: Everything Users Need to Know
Buterin, co-founder of the network, stated that hardening requires Ethereum to achieve seven technical milestones, including:
Achieving immediate resistance to quantum computing
Achieving scalability through verification via ZK-EVM and PeerDAS
Engineering long-term state
Achieving full account abstraction
Safe gas models
Strong economics for proof-of-stake
Censorship-resistant block building model
Buterin stated in a post that we are not required to stop making protocol changes, but we must reach a stage where Ethereum's value does not fundamentally depend on any features not already present in the protocol
The digital currency official clarified that future innovation should primarily be achieved through client improvements and standard adjustments, rather than hard forks
Although the roadmap is ambitious, critics and experts have warned of ongoing practical obstacles. Icquian X, a zk infrastructure researcher, stated that retrofitting Ethereum with zkEVMs as L2 solutions represents a 'partial temporary fix'
Unlike native zk chains such as Starknet or Miden, which were built from scratch for zero-knowledge verification, Ethereum must adapt its current architecture built on Solidity/EVM
Icquian X pointed out in his comment that retrofit solutions may need to be rebuilt as proof technologies evolve, emphasizing that the ultimate scalability of the network depends on core design choices
Implementation risks and high-stakes bets in Ethereum's hardening potential
Implementation risks extend beyond technical execution, as coordinating multiple achievements across decades of standard changes introduces significant technical and social complexity
The continued centralization of staking, client diversity, and validator dynamics are considered potential threats to the decentralization principles underlying Ethereum. This has raised questions about the network's ability to remain viable without full trust in practice
Blog post by Peitum in a recent excerpt noted that around 30–34 million ETH are stored... Liquid staking protocols continued to grow. However, major staking pools (such as Lido) still hold significant shares—Lido controls approximately 29–31% of stored ETH according to multiple reports. This has raised concerns about centralization of stakeholder power
Trade-offs between rigidity and flexibility must also be considered: an overly rigid base layer may restrict future updates or reduce innovation, potentially forcing developers to choose between long-term stability and adaptability
Despite these concerns, Buterin remained optimistic. In early January 2026, he reviewed Ethereum's progress in 2025, highlighting improvements in:
Gas limits
Number of blobs
Quality of smart contracts, and
zkEVM performance
Nonetheless, he emphasized that the network must do more than just improve metrics or chase temporary trends
Buterin said we are building decentralized applications. Applications that operate without fraud, censorship, or third-party interference. Applications that succeed in the test of separation... and surpass the stability of corporate rise and fall, ideologies, and political parties, as he wrote
The Ethereum hardening roadmap represents a high-risk bet on Ethereum's long-term flexibility. Success could enable Ethereum to become the true global computer of the decentralized internet, capable of supporting finance, governance, identity, and other civic infrastructure for decades to come
Conversely, failure could expose the network to inefficiencies, redesign, or centralization pressures that might undermine its core objectives
