Cardano Founder Predicts Ethereum's Decline Within 15 Years

Cardano’s founder, Charles Hoskinson, has expressed his belief that Ethereum may not survive beyond the next decade. In an interview, Hoskinson stated, “I don’t think Ethereum will survive for more than 10-15 years. The L2s will continue to suckle out all the alpha, users will gradually migrate to other places, and they’re going to be eclipsed by Bitcoin DeFi.”

Hoskinson cited three key issues with Ethereum: the protocol, virtual machine, and consensus model, which he described as ‘self-inflicted’ problems. He noted that implementing changes to address these issues would be challenging, suggesting that Ethereum could face a similar fate to MySpace and blackberry if it fails to adapt.

In addition to these internal challenges, Hoskinson pointed out that other blockchain platforms like Solana and Sui could further erode Ethereum’s market share. His perspective is noteworthy given his background as a co-founder of Ethereum before launching Cardano.

Other protocol founders within the Ethereum ecosystem have shared similar sentiments. Hayden Adams, the founder of Uniswap, praised Solana’s clear and fast-tracked vision compared to Ethereum. He stated, “Solana has a better roadmap, team, and approach if the plan is to do DeFi on L1/vertical scaling. Ethereum has been working towards an L2-centric/horizontal scaling roadmap for 5+ years.”

Armani Ferrante, the founder of the Solana-based Backpack exchange, also expressed skepticism about Ethereum’s ability to scale at the L1 level. He advised, “It’s way too late for Ethereum to compete at the L1 scaling game. Instead, embrace the path chosen. Build Ethereum native rollups, do them better than anyone else, and commit.”

Despite the divided opinions on Ethereum’s scaling approach, the network has pushed forward with upgrades to both its L1 and L2 systems. The Ethereum Pectra and Fusaka upgrades are designed to enhance the chain’s scalability and competitiveness. However, Avichal Garg, the founder of Electric Capital, dismissed the calls for Ethereum’s demise, stating, “ETH turns 10 years old in July 2025. For comparison, when BTC turned 10 in Jan 2019: Price had collapsed from $20k to $4k, no institution or govt took BTC seriously, ETFs, DeFi & stables didn’t exist. It’s foolish to think ETH is done.”