Ethereum’s long-term evolution is entering a critical phase as Vitalik Buterin pushes the concept of “ossifiability”—the idea that the network could “freeze” without losing functionality even if core developers disappear.

The vision, first articulated in 2024 as part of the walkaway test, positions Ethereum beyond a platform for decentralized applications (dApps) to a trustless foundation capable of operating independently for decades.

According to Buterin, the network’s co-founder, ossifiability requires Ethereum to achieve seven technical milestones, including:

“We do not have to stop making changes to the protocol, but we must get to a place where Ethereum’s value proposition does not strictly depend on any features that are not in the protocol already,” Buterin said.

In this regard, the crypto executive emphasized that future innovation should be achieved primarily through client optimizations and parameter adjustments rather than hard forks.

While the roadmap is ambitious, critics and experts caution that practical challenges remain. Equation X, a ZK infrastructure researcher, argues that retrofitting Ethereum with zkEVMs as L2 solutions represents a “halfway fix.”

Unlike ZK-native chains such as StarkNet or Miden, which were built from the ground up for zero-knowledge validation, Ethereum must adapt its existing Solidity/EVM architecture.

“Retrofitted solutions might need rebuilding when proving tech evolves,” Equation X noted, emphasizing that the network’s ultimate ossifiability depends on foundational design choices.

Implementation risks extend beyond technical execution. Coordinating multiple milestones through parameter changes over decades introduces both technical and social complexity.

Staking centralization, client diversity, and validator dynamics remain potential threats to Ethereum’s decentralized ethos. This raises questions about whether the network can remain fully trustless in practice.

“About 30–34 million ETH staked… Liquid staking protocols have continued growing. However, large staking pools (e.g., Lido) still hold significant shares — Lido controls about 29–31% of staked ETH in many reports. This raises concerns about the centralization of stakeholder power,” read an excerpt in a recent Bitium blog.

There are also trade-offs between rigidity and flexibility: a highly ossified base layer may limit future upgrades or constrain innovation, potentially forcing developers to choose between long-term stability and adaptability.

Despite these concerns, Buterin remains optimistic. In early January 2026, he reflected on Ethereum’s progress in 2025, noting improvements in:

Yet he emphasized that the network must do more than optimize metrics or chase temporary trends.

“We’re building decentralized applications. Applications that run without fraud, censorship, or third-party interference. Applications that pass the walkaway test…whose stability transcends the rise and fall of companies, ideologies, and political parties,” Buterin wrote.

The ossifiability roadmap represents a high-stakes gamble on Ethereum’s long-term resilience. Success could position Ethereum as the world computer for a truly decentralized internet, capable of supporting finance, governance, identity, and other civilizational infrastructure for decades.

Failure, however, could expose the network to inefficiencies, redesigns, or centralization pressures that compromise its foundational goals.

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