Buterin: Ethereum Must Pass the “World Computer” Test Without Losing Its Decentralization

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has once again emphasized the core mission of the blockchain network — and warned that technical progress alone is not enough if Ethereum loses its way. While Ethereum made significant strides in scalability and performance in 2025, Buterin stressed that true success depends on staying true to its original vision: a neutral, open, and truly decentralized platform — the so-called “world computer.”

Ethereum Is Now Faster, More Stable, and More Powerful — But That’s Not the Goal In a Thursday post on X, Buterin summarized that 2025 brought important improvements to Ethereum. Network reliability, speed, and scalability all improved. Bottlenecks were removed, and core software management was simplified. But that’s just the foundation. According to Buterin, these upgrades merely pave the way for something more meaningful — a stage where Ethereum can serve as an open infrastructure for decentralized finance, digital identity, governance, and more. However, he warned that if the community chases fleeting trends like meme coins, tokenized dollars, or short-term market hype, it risks losing sight of its deeper mission.

The “Walkaway Test” and the Danger of Centralization Buterin emphasized the “walkaway test” — the idea that applications should be so autonomous that they continue to function even if their developers disappear. User data must remain safe, and access must be ensured no matter what happens to infrastructure providers. If Ethereum truly wants to be the backbone of the future digital world, it must not rely on centralized elements like hosted servers or proprietary interfaces. Buterin warned that even when apps run on a decentralized blockchain, their frontends or APIs are often controlled by a single entity — and that undermines the mission.

Global Usability Without Compromising Decentralization According to Buterin, Ethereum must succeed in two areas at once: 🔹 It must be globally usable — able to handle large transaction volumes, high user activity, and massive scale.

🔹 And remain decentralized — secure, censorship-resistant, and beyond the reach of any central authority. Achieving one without the other would defeat the network’s purpose. A scalable but centralized Ethereum would fail. A decentralized but unusable one would too.

Ethereum as a Response to the Modern Internet Buterin compares Ethereum to today’s increasingly closed internet, filled with subscription models and locked-in platforms. Ethereum, in contrast, aims to restore user autonomy — to provide a permanent, resilient, and interoperable infrastructure.

2025 Was the Foundation — 2026 Will Reveal If Ethereum Stands the Test In conclusion, Buterin said that the technical groundwork laid in 2025 was essential. But now it’s time to move from theory to practice — to real-world usage. Only then will it become clear whether Ethereum can fulfill its mission and scale while staying decentralized.

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