Vitalik Buterin said Ethereum has drifted from its original goals over the past decade. He pointed to reduced decentralization, privacy, and self-sovereignty. In a post on X, Buterin said compromises for mainstream adoption diluted those values. He urged the community to reverse that direction.
He called 2026 a turning point for reclaiming core principles. The statement framed the year as a reset rather than a short-term upgrade cycle. Buterin noted that many decentralized apps now rely on centralized servers. He also said these systems collect and share large volumes of user data.
He added that running an Ethereum node has become difficult for average users. Earlier versions allowed easier participation with modest hardware. According to Buterin, reliance on centralized infrastructure reduces trust. It also limits meaningful decentralization across the ecosystem.