In a fresh strategic note, Vitalik Buterin sketched out a long-term ethereum survival roadmap that would let the network stand on its own for decades.
Vitalik Buterin and the new walkaway vision
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has unveiled what he calls the “walkaway test”, a standard for determining whether the protocol can thrive even if its core builders vanish. According to Buterin, Ethereum must reach a state where the base layer can effectively ossify, while still remaining useful and secure for the long term.
He framed the idea with a simple analogy. Owning a hammer means it keeps working regardless of whether the manufacturer survives. However, relying on a service ties reliability to the provider’s continued operation. Buterin wants Ethereum to function more like the hammer: once launched, it should keep working independently of any company or founder.
The 7-box checklist for a durable protocol
To pass the walkaway test, Buterin set out a 7-step checklist of upgrades he believes the network must complete over the next few years. The first pillar is full quantum-resistance, so that future advances in computing cannot easily break the cryptography that secures user funds and network consensus.
Next, he highlighted scalability through ZK-EVM and PeerDAS, which are intended to deliver high throughput without sacrificing decentralization. Moreover, Buterin called for a state architecture durable enough to last for decades, preventing state growth and data management from becoming long-term bottlenecks for the ecosystem.
The roadmap also includes full account abstraction, which would let wallets and accounts behave more flexibly, including features like social recovery or smart contract logic at the account level. In addition, Buterin wants a gas schedule that is robust against denial-of-service vulnerabilities, ensuring attackers cannot cheaply spam complex operations to disrupt the chain.
The final two boxes center on incentives and neutrality. Buterin argued that Ethereum needs a proof-of-stake model that remains decentralized over time, even as staking grows and professionalizes. At the same time, he stressed the importance of censorship-resistant block building, so that the chain can continue to include all valid transactions even under regulatory or political pressure.
Quantum security as an early priority
Buterin was explicit about not postponing quantum security in favor of short-term convenience. He argued that waiting too long to adopt quantum-safe cryptography could expose users to systemic risk if breakthroughs arrive faster than expected. That said, he still views the transition as something that must be carefully engineered to avoid unnecessary disruption.
“Being able to say ‘Ethereum’s protocol, as it stands today, is cryptographically safe for a hundred years’ is something we should strive to get to as soon as possible,” Buterin said. His comments underscore a desire to front-load the most difficult changes, so that the base protocol can eventually settle into a more stable and predictable form.
Implications for ETH as long-term collateral
Buterin emphasized that a hardened base layer directly benefits ETH holders. He described ETH as long-term trustless collateral, pointing in particular to ETH-backed stablecoins that minimize governance and rely mainly on protocol guarantees. In his view, a credibly neutral chain with predictable rules strengthens these use cases.
Moreover, he argued that once the major structural upgrades are complete, future changes should largely come through parameter adjustments rather than repeated protocol overhauls. In practice, that would look similar to how validators today vote on gas limits, but extended to scaling-related variables and other technical tunings.
In this context, the ethereum survival framework is meant to ensure that even as the application layer evolves, the core protocol remains steady. Developers could keep innovating at higher layers while the base chain changes only minimally, guided by predictable governance processes.
Community reaction to Vitalik’s roadmap
The crypto community quickly reacted to Buterin’s post, with many users openly supporting the long-term focus. One commenter called the plan “spot on,” arguing that prioritizing robustness over constant tinkering is what turns Ethereum into a true foundation for decentralized applications. However, some observers also noted that delivering on every box will require sustained coordination across researchers, client teams, and validators.
Still, the general tone from developers and long-time participants was positive. They welcomed the attempt to define a clear endgame for the protocol, where the consensus and execution layers become more predictable and less experimental. That perspective contrasts with earlier years, when radical redesigns were common and expectations around stability were lower.
Timeline and expectations for the 7 upgrades
On the question of timing, Buterin expects at least one item on the checklist to be completed each year, and ideally more. He did not tie specific boxes to fixed deadlines, but he clearly wants the most complex engineering work to happen sooner rather than later. Moreover, the aim is to concentrate the pain of change now so that the network can run in a relatively stable configuration for decades.
“Do the right thing once, based on knowledge of what is truly the right thing,” he said, summarizing his philosophy on protocol design. His comments suggest that while iteration will continue, there should eventually be an end to perpetual redesign at the base layer.
Buterin closed with a line familiar to long-time followers: “Ethereum goes hard. This is the gwei.” The phrase encapsulates his belief that the project can take on difficult technical challenges today to secure a more resilient and autonomous future for the network.
In summary, Buterin’s walkaway test and 7-box checklist offer a concrete vision for an Ethereum that no longer depends on its founders. If the community can execute on quantum resistance, scalability, account abstraction, secure proof-of-stake, and censorship-resistant block building, the protocol could be positioned to operate reliably well into the coming decades.
Source: https://en.cryptonomist.ch/2026/01/12/ethereum-survival-7-step/
