Vitalik: Ethereum needs to reach a stable frozen state by 2026, and the blockchain must pass the "letting go test."

At the beginning of 2026, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin once again paints a vision for the entire ecosystem. In an in-depth post published on January 12, he calls for Ethereum to achieve a new milestone within the next two years: becoming a “antifragile” blockchain network that can operate autonomously even if all developers leave. He refers to this goal as “Ossification” — meaning the protocol enters a stable, long-term maintainable phase.

Letting Go Test: Ethereum’s Ultimate Challenge

Vitalik believes that Ethereum should ultimately pass the so-called “walkaway test”: even if all developers and core participants withdraw, the protocol can still operate safely and stably, continuing to support trustless applications in finance, governance, and other fields. He likens this Ethereum to a hammer — once bought, it’s yours, and it doesn’t require ongoing manufacturer maintenance to be usable.

He emphasizes that Ethereum should not be a “service” that relies on continuous upgrades and community coordination to survive, but rather a digital infrastructure like TCP/IP or Unix systems, tested and proven over time.

What is “Ossification”? Not Stopping Innovation, but Stabilizing the Core

Although “ossification” sounds like technological freezing, Vitalik clarifies that this does not mean stopping innovation. Instead, the core protocol layer (Layer 1) should reach a state of “all the necessary work is done.” Future innovation can occur more in Layer 2 solutions, client optimizations, or parameter adjustments, rather than frequent hard forks.

His philosophy is: “Do it once well,” avoiding technical debt that requires future patches.

Seven Priorities: Ethereum Development Blueprint for 2026

Vitalik points out that to achieve ossification, the Ethereum community needs to complete seven core tasks over the next few years:

1. Comprehensive Quantum Resistance

Implement post-quantum cryptography as soon as possible to prevent future quantum computers from threatening private keys. He believes this should not be delayed for efficiency reasons but should become Ethereum’s technical pride.

2. Scalable Architecture Deployment

Through ZK-EVM verification and PeerDAS (Data Availability Sampling) technology, establish a system that can scale to thousands of TPS via parameter tuning and validator voting, avoiding the need for forks with each upgrade.

3. Long-term State Management Mechanism

Complete “partial statelessness,” “state expiry,” and more sustainable storage structures, enabling Ethereum to handle large volumes of transactions long-term without stressing hardware.

4. More Universal Account Model

Achieve full account abstraction, abandoning hardcoded ECDSA verification, providing a more flexible and future-oriented user experience.

5. Secure Gas Cost Model

Design a Gas fee mechanism resistant to DoS attacks for both execution and ZK proof verification, reducing attack surfaces and impact from abnormal transaction volumes.

6. Robust Proof-of-Stake Economic Model

Based on real-world operational experience, further optimize PoS design to support ETH as a trust-minimized collateral asset (e.g., for governance or stablecoins).

7. Censorship-Resistant Block Construction Mechanism

Develop block inclusion models that can resist future centralization pressures, ensuring fair transaction inclusion under any conditions.

One Task Per Year: Take It Slow, But Do It Right Once

Buterin encourages the developer community to complete at least one of these tasks each year, ideally advancing multiple simultaneously. He emphasizes that this should not be rushed or done hastily for speed, but based on deep understanding — “do it once, do it best.”

This post quickly sparked widespread discussion in the community, including memes, enthusiastic responses, and technical debates. Many developers and enthusiasts see this as one of the most important guidelines for Ethereum’s next two years.

Ethereum Matures: Is 2026 the Turning Point for Stability?

With a series of upgrades in 2025 (such as ZK-EVM maturity, PeerDAS deployment) gradually coming into effect, Ethereum’s technology has entered a new level. Vitalik’s post is not just a blueprint but a philosophical reminder: true decentralization means that the underlying protocol should be as antifragile as the application layer.

As he humorously summarizes in his final words:

“Ethereum goes hard. This is the gwei.”

This article, Vitalik: Ethereum aims to achieve a stable frozen state by 2026, and the blockchain must pass the “walkaway test,” first appeared on Chain News ABMedia.