Ethereum has been dealing with an unavoidable issue over the past two years — it is no longer the original "world computer" it once was. Vitalik's recent statements have attracted a lot of attention; he openly admits that over the past decade, numerous compromises have been made for scalability and performance. This time, he plans to address these legacy problems one by one.

Around 2026, several key changes will be gradually implemented:

First is the node participation threshold. Ordinary home computers will be able to run full nodes, meaning you no longer need to rely on large node providers; individuals can truly participate in network maintenance. Next, wallet experience will see significant upgrades — built-in social recovery mechanisms and time-lock features, so losing your private key is no longer a despairing event.

Progress in privacy is even more noteworthy. Transaction records can be truly anonymous, turning privacy payments from a concept into a usable solution. Decentralization in block construction is also advancing; RPC data can be verified independently, and no one can tamper with information without your knowledge. Censorship resistance is maximized, and on-chain activities will enjoy genuine freedom.

The risk of single points of failure across the entire network will also be greatly reduced, with a noticeable decrease in reliance on centralized services. In simple terms, Ethereum is attempting to solve widely criticized issues at the design level — node monopolization, wallet security, and centralization of block construction.

But can these improvements truly usher Ethereum into the next phase? This is a question worth discussing thoroughly within the community.