Vitalik Buterin shared his thoughts at the start of the new year about where Ethereum stands and where it must go next. He said that 2025 was a strong year for technical progress. The network became faster more stable and better at handling growth. These improvements helped Ethereum move closer to its original idea of becoming a shared global computer.
He explained that the network can now process more activity with fewer problems. It is also easier for people to run the software that supports Ethereum. This helps protect decentralization and keeps control spread across many users. According to him these changes matter because they support long term strength not short term hype.
Still Vitalik made it clear that technical success alone is not enough. He warned against focusing only on trends that promise fast growth or quick attention. He does not believe Ethereum should chase popular ideas just to look active. Instead he wants the network to stay focused on its deeper purpose.
That purpose is to act as neutral internet infrastructure. In simple terms Ethereum should be a place where apps can run freely without control by any single group. These apps should keep working even if their creators step away. Vitalik calls this idea the walkaway test. If an app fails when its builders leave then it does not fully meet the goal.
He also talked about resilience. Ethereum based systems should not break if a major service provider goes offline. Users should barely notice when problems happen behind the scenes. This level of strength used to be normal in older tools like basic internet services. Over time many digital platforms became locked systems that depend on subscriptions and central control. Ethereum is meant to push back against that model.
Vitalik said Ethereum must meet two goals at the same time. First it must be easy enough for people around the world to use. Second it must stay truly decentralized. Achieving both together is difficult. Improving ease of use often leads to more central control. Protecting decentralization can sometimes make systems harder to use. Ethereum must balance both sides carefully.
This challenge applies to the main network and also to apps built on top of it. Many apps claim to be decentralized but still rely on central services in the background. Vitalik believes this weakens the vision and needs to change over time.
He admitted that progress is already happening. New tools exist that can help developers build better systems. The recent upgrades were not done for excitement or price action. They were done to support real use cases like finance identity and governance that people can rely on for years.
His message was calm and long term focused. Ethereum success will not be proven by fast trends. It will be proven by whether it can support open systems at global scale. The next phase will show whether the network can live up to these ideals as more people begin to use it in daily life.
