Ethereum's co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, issued a critical warning about the blockchain’s long-term security and autonomy. Speaking to developers and enthusiasts, he emphasized that protocol complexity threatens trustlessness and self-sovereignty. According to Buterin, “Even if a protocol is super decentralized with hundreds of thousands of nodes, and it has 49% byzantine fault tolerance…if the protocol is an unwieldy mess of hundreds of thousands of lines of code, ultimately that protocol fails all three tests.”
He explained that a bloated protocol forces users to rely on a small group of experts, undermining decentralization. Moreover, newcomers may struggle to maintain quality if original teams leave and technical experts cannot fully understand it, reducing self-sovereignty.
Complexity Threatens Ethereum’s Resilience
Buterin highlighted that adding new features for short-term gains can be highly destructive. He stated, “The core problem is that if protocol changes are judged from the perspective of ‘how big are they as changes to the existing protocol,’ then additions happen more often than subtractions.”
Consequently, Ethereum risks bloat, creating unnecessary complexity and increasing security vulnerabilities. He advocates for a structured simplification approach. This includes minimizing code lines, avoiding complex dependencies, and introducing invariants—core properties that simplify client development.
Garbage Collection and Simplification Measures
Vitalik shared examples of ongoing simplification efforts. He mentioned the gas cost reforms in Glamsterdam, which tie costs to actual resource use. Additionally, Ethereum’s transition from Proof-of-Work to Proof-of-Stake represents large-scale “garbage collection.”
Rosetta-style backward compatibility may also reduce complexity by relegating little-used features to smart contracts. Buterin added, “After we upgrade to full native account abstraction, all old tx types can be retired, and EOAs can be converted into smart contract wallets.” These steps aim to allow new client developers to focus only on relevant features, reducing technical overhead.
The Path Forward
Ultimately, Buterin sees Ethereum slowing down big changes in the future. He thinks the first fifteen years were like its “adolescent phase,” full of experiments. By simplifying the system and removing unnecessary complexity, Ethereum can stay strong, secure, and easy to use for everyone. He also emphasizes that keeping things simple protects users’ control over their own assets and keeps the network truly trustless, so it can last for generations.