Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin Discusses the Future of Ethereum's Independence

According to PANews, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin emphasized the importance of Ethereum passing the 'can exit at any time' test in a recent post on the X platform. He stated that Ethereum aims to be the ideal platform for trustless and minimized-trust applications across various sectors, including finance and governance. The platform should support applications that function as tools rather than services that fail if the provider ceases maintenance. Buterin highlighted that even if some applications rely on certain provider functions, Ethereum should minimize this dependency and protect users when such dependencies fail. If the underlying protocol itself requires continuous updates from a 'provider'—even if this provider is the collaborative process of core developers—then building the ideal applications becomes impossible. Therefore, the Ethereum blockchain must possess the characteristics expected of its applications, ensuring it can pass the 'can exit at any time' test. This means Ethereum must reach a stage where it can be 'solidified when needed.' While protocol modifications should not cease, Ethereum's value proposition should not strictly depend on any features not yet integrated into the protocol. This includes aspects such as full quantum resistance, scalable high-performance architecture, a state architecture sustainable for decades, a universal account model, a reliable gas pricing mechanism against denial-of-service attacks, a proof-of-stake economic model based on long-term experience, and a block construction model resistant to centralization and censorship. Ideally, in the coming years, efforts should focus on achieving a stage where almost all future innovations can be realized through client optimizations and reflected in the protocol through parameter changes. Each year, at least one of these goals should be accomplished, preferably more. By deeply understanding what is right and doing things correctly from the outset, rather than adopting temporary compromises, Ethereum's technical and social robustness can be maximized in the long run.