Returning to Ethereum's original vision: Mr. Buterin discusses the importance of long-term strategy in a 2026 Meta statement

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin sent a clear message to the Ethereum community through his New Year’s remarks. It was a reminder to return to the fundamental goals the network has pursued from the beginning, rather than being swayed by the rapidly changing market trends.

Reasons to Look Away from the Short-term “Meta” Temptation

Buterin pointed out that whenever assets that temporarily attract attention—such as tokenized dollars or political meme coins—appear, the Ethereum community tends to get caught up in a competition to “win the next meta.” However, his stance is clear. Resources and efforts should be focused on the core vision of building a decentralized world computer, rather than short-term pursuits.

According to Buterin, keeping ETH as an “ultrasound” asset is achievable through technical improvements to ensure gas efficiency, without artificially creating transaction demand. This stance reflects his consistent position that the focus should be on building applications that generate real value.

Technical Achievements in 2025 and Challenges for 2026

Buterin appropriately evaluates the achievements Ethereum made throughout 2025. He recognizes progress such as raising the gas limit, increasing the number of blocks, and improving node software quality as signs of steady advancement.

Particularly, zkEVM and PeerDAS are seen as milestones that will evolve Ethereum into a “fundamentally new, more powerful blockchain.” These are not just numerical improvements but represent a leap in the network’s architecture itself.

However, the key is that these technological advances must be embodied in “fraud-proof, censorship-resistant, third-party interference-proof applications.” Evolution in specs alone is meaningless; the true value of Ethereum will be tested in real-world use cases that realize genuine decentralization.

Regaining True Autonomy

Buterin’s ideal Ethereum applications have one crucial characteristic: they must pass the “walk-away test.” That is, they should continue to operate stably even if the original developers disappear, or if companies go bankrupt.

He envisions building a platform that transcends infrastructure dependencies like Cloudflare, allowing users to continue using the service unnoticed even if such infrastructure completely fails. This platform would surpass companies, ideologies, and political parties.

In response to questions about the practical issue of reliance on centralized RPC services, Buterin provided an interesting historical perspective. A generation ago, wallets, appliances, books, and cars did not assume permanent dependence on subscriptions or corporations. Today, however, many technologies have shifted to default centralized contract models. Buterin argues that Ethereum has a mission to restore the autonomy that was once standard in technology.

Layer 2 Strategies and Base Layer Optimization Balance

When asked by a Solana user why Ethereum relies on Layer 2 solutions, Buterin explained Ethereum’s strategic choice again.

He states two conditions that a blockchain must meet: one is “being usable and scalable,” and the other is “being truly decentralized.” Both must be achieved simultaneously at the software layer and the application layer.

The current approach involves optimizing the base layer while also deploying Layer 2 solutions to ensure scalability—a two-layer structure. While acknowledging room for improvement in all components, Buterin is committed to leveraging available technical tools to realize his long-term vision.

Community Trust and Ongoing Commitment

Developers from Metalex expressed gratitude toward Buterin. Despite having opportunities to cash out years ago, his continued efforts based on the ideals of cypherpunk have kept many developers engaged in this ecosystem.

Buterin’s New Year’s message follows a paper published last December, which warned against concentrated power by governments and corporations and proposed decentralized technology as a countermeasure. In December, he also suggested creating a trustless on-chain futures market to ensure predictable gas fees on Ethereum.

Looking toward 2026, Buterin’s stance remains consistent: the true priority for the Ethereum community is not fleeting meta trends or market fads, but the realization of the grand, long-term vision of building a decentralized world computer.