If Ethereum embraces ossification, the core may remain untouched while upgrades happen at the edges.
Vitalik Buterin is warning that Ethereum must prepare for a coming quantum threat, even as he pushes for the network’s base layer to stop changing.
Speaking at Devconnect in Buenos Aires, the Ethereum co-founder said the protocol should begin moving toward ossification. This means a long-term freeze of the core code to protect stability. However, he also emphasized that the shift cannot overlook the looming risks posed by advances in quantum computing.
The call for addressing the quantum threat aligns with a broader message: Ethereum’s foundation should focus on security and predictability. Buterin said the ecosystem is entering a phase where fewer surprises are better.
A stable base layer, he argued, reduces the chance of bugs and lowers the operational risks tied to securing hundreds of billions in value.
Still, the quantum threat cannot be ignored. Buterin warned that elliptic curve cryptography, the backbone of Ethereum and Bitcoin, may be vulnerable sooner than many expect. Some forecasts suggest that quantum computers capable of breaking today’s cryptography could emerge before the 2028 U.S. presidential election.
A Push for Ossification
Buterin said Ethereum’s base layer should begin locking down. This does not mean stopping all innovation. Instead, he wants future experimentation to shift to layer 2 networks, wallets, privacy tools, and user-facing applications.
He noted that Ethereum can ossify at different speeds. The consensus layer might freeze while the Ethereum Virtual Machine remains flexible, or the reverse.
Today, most Ethereum activity already takes place on layer 2s. For Buterin, that trend is healthy. Layer 1 becomes the settlement layer. Layer 2 becomes the innovation zone.
Tradeoffs and a Changing Ecosystem
Buterin acknowledged that Ethereum’s early “exploration” phase has faded. He pointed to the rise of memecoins and copycat projects as symptoms of a maturing, more commercialized environment. Creativity, he said, has suffered.
The Quantum Deadline
The move toward quantum-resistant cryptography will demand coordination across the entire ecosystem. If Ethereum embraces ossification, the core may remain untouched while upgrades happen at the edges. But the work must begin soon, he warned, because cryptographic assumptions are no longer guaranteed to last.
AltcoinBuzz recently covered an article sharing Buterin’s goal for Ethereum in the next decade. Read it here.
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