2026-01-17 06:30:12

Recently, a topic has sparked community attention—what is the core value of Ethereum?

Some viewpoints point out that over the past decade, Ethereum has faced certain practical difficulties. Running nodes has become increasingly difficult, user data leaks in DApps are a serious issue, and wallets are gradually shifting from local RPC to relying on third-party services, resulting in concerns over data privacy. Even more painfully, block construction has become more centralized, with a few builders holding the power over transaction inclusion.

These changes reflect a contradiction—has Ethereum sacrificed too much of its original decentralization goal for mainstream adoption? Some believe that 2026 should be a turning point; Ethereum needs to regain its autonomy and trustless core features through technological upgrades and ecosystem adjustments, rebuilding a stronger decentralized foundation. This is not only a technical issue but also concerns the future positioning of the entire Ethereum ecosystem.

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CompoundPersonality

· 15h ago

Honestly, over the years, Ethereum has become more and more like a compromised product Node operation difficulty skyrocketing, data privacy compromised, centralization accelerating... Bro, what happened to the principles we believed in at the beginning? Can 2026 really turn things around? I'm a bit skeptical --- Decentralization初心 and mainstream adoption, is it really a trade-off? Can't have both, right? --- Speaking of which, with MEV people eating it up so thoroughly, what's the point of talking about trustlessness... LOL --- Instead of hoping for 2026, why not run your own node now? Don't rely entirely on guys like Infura --- A bunch of wallets have become tracking tools, privacy is gone, and now you want to rebuild? Later then --- Core value? It’s long been "as long as it can make money, that’s enough" --- If only MEV and node costs could really be fixed, Ethereum would have a future. But as it is... uh

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MEVictim

· 15h ago

Honestly, isn't it a bit late to discuss this now? Centralization has already happened, and you're still trying to save it. Feels like you're whitewashing the emergence of MEV. This is the result of concentrated power. Ethereum has long ceased to be what it used to be. Stop fooling yourselves. A turning point in 2026? I doubt it. Who in the ecosystem will truly compromise for decentralization? The issue isn't technical upgrades; it's that no one wants to give up the benefits they've already gained. Nodes are becoming increasingly difficult to run. Isn't this a disguised way of pushing retail investors out? This sounds like an attempt to fool newcomers, but in reality, nothing can really be changed.

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FOMOmonster

· 15h ago

Speaking of which, ETH has indeed gone astray over the past ten years... Nodes are becoming increasingly difficult to run, and wallets still rely on third parties. How did it become Web3? The centralization of block construction is truly remarkable—just a few builders call the shots. Isn't that just the same old financial oligarchy? Can it be saved by 2026? I'm a bit pessimistic... Technical upgrades are one thing, but who in the ecosystem is willing to truly relinquish power? Thinking back to the original intention, it’s quite ironic now. Core value? Let’s first solve the privacy issues... Difficult nodes, data leaks, reliance on third parties—these three issues combined make Ethereum feel further and further from "decentralization." Rather than waiting until 2026, someone should step up now to push for change. But who... Honestly, balancing scale and decentralization is too difficult; you really can't have both. To be honest, the benefits of centralization are just too high. Relying on voluntary decentralization? Haha

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BearMarketBuyer

· 15h ago

Basically, it's selling the soul for user numbers. Now they've realized it. Node operation is difficult, data leaks, centralized construction... Isn't this the same old approach we opposed initially? 2026 turning point? I think it's uncertain. Technical upgrades are easy, ecological adjustments are hard. This is the real problem Ethereum needs to face, not just speculation on coins. We need to return to the fundamentals of decentralization; otherwise, what's the difference from centralized chains?

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ConsensusDissenter

· 15h ago

NGL, what was the initial goal, and now it's being countered by centralization. We said no trust needed, but now we're relying entirely on third parties? LOL. 2026? Feels like just another pie-in-the-sky plan, wake up everyone. Really? The node difficulty is still increasing, how can we turn this around? Centralization is centralization, who still cares about decentralization? I've seen the problems early on, but no one listened. It definitely needs a complete overhaul, or this thing will be finished. Data privacy is way out of line, it needs to be rectified. Rather than waiting for a turning point in 2026, it's better to take action now.

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ImpermanentPhilosopher

· 15h ago

It's still called Ethereum even after all the centralization, which is ridiculous. The original intention of decentralization was long gone; now it's just traditional finance with a different shell. With such high node operation costs, ordinary people really can't afford to run one. Can it turn around in 2026? I bet five ETH it won't. These MEV whales have long since taken all the influence and control.

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