How feasible is Vitalik Buterin's descriptive roadmap for Ethereum?
Ethereum's long-term evolution has reached a critical stage as Vitalik Buterin advances the concept of "stability"—the idea that the network can "freeze" without losing functionality even if key developers disappear.
The vision, first introduced in 2024 as part of the withdrawal test, positions Ethereum as more than just a platform for decentralized applications (dApps), transforming it into a trustless foundation capable of operating independently for decades to come.
Ethereum's ossification roadmap for Vitalik Buterin: everything users need to know
Buterin, the co-founder of the network, mentioned that susceptibility to ossification requires Ethereum to achieve seven technical milestones, including:
Achieving immediate resistance to quantum computing
Achieving scalability through verification by ZK-EVM and PeerDAS,
Long-term state engineering,
Achieving complete abstraction of computations,
Secure gas models,
Strong economics for proof of stake, and
Censorship-resistant block construction model.
Buterin stated in a post that we do not have to stop making changes to the protocol, but we must reach a stage where Ethereum's value does not primarily depend on any features that are not already present in the protocol.
The official in the field of digital currencies clarified that future innovation must be primarily achieved through client improvements and standards adjustments, rather than hard forks.
Although the roadmap is ambitious, critics and experts warned of ongoing practical obstacles. Equity X, an infrastructure zk researcher, viewed retooling Ethereum with zkEVMs as L2 solutions as a "partially temporary solution."
Unlike native zk chains like StarkNet or Maiden, which were built from scratch for zero-knowledge verification, Ethereum must adapt its existing architecture built with Solidity/EVM.
Equity X noted in his comments that repurposed solutions may need to be rebuilt as proof technologies evolve, stressing that the ultimate susceptibility of the network to ossification depends on fundamental design choices.
Implementation risks and high-stakes gambles in Ethereum's susceptibility to ossification
Implementation risks extend beyond technical execution, as coordinating multiple milestones through standard changes over decades presents both technical and social complexity.
He considered the continued centralization of storage, client diversity, and validator dynamics as potential threats to the decentralization principles on which Ethereum is built. This raised questions about the network's ability to survive without having to fully trust the practical application.
A recent excerpt from the Bitim blog indicated that about 30–34 million ETH is stored... Liquid storage protocols continue to grow. However, major storage pools (like Lido) still hold significant shares — Lido controls about 29–31% of stored ETH according to various reports. This raised concerns about centralization of power among stakeholders.
Trade-offs between rigidity and flexibility must also be considered: an overly rigid base layer may constrain future updates or stifle innovation, potentially forcing developers to choose between long-term stability and adaptability.
Despite these concerns, Buterin remained optimistic. In early January 2026, he reviewed Ethereum's progress in 2025, outlining improvements in:
Gas limits
Number of bloops,
Contract program quality, and
zkEVM performance.
However, he emphasized that the network needs to do more than just improve metrics or chase temporary trends.
Buterin said we are building decentralized applications. Applications that operate without fraud or censorship or third-party interference. Applications that succeed in the separation test... and whose stability outperforms the rises and falls of companies, ideologies, and political parties, according to what he wrote.
The ossification roadmap represents a high-stakes bet on Ethereum's long-term resilience. Success may enable Ethereum to become the true global computer for the decentralized internet, capable of supporting finance, governance, identity, and other civil infrastructure for decades to come.
On the other hand, failure could expose the network to inefficiency issues, redesign, or centralization pressures that may undermine its core objectives.
