Vitalik Buterin Outlines Conditions for a Self-Sustaining, Quantum-Safe Ethereum

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has detailed a technical roadmap that outlines seven requirements to achieve a self-sustaining, quantum-safe Ethereum protocol. The initiative aims to ensure the network remains viable and secure for decades without requiring continuous active stewardship.

Buterin emphasized that the protocol must achieve a state of long-term readiness, where developers could theoretically step away from ongoing management. This would mean the blockchain would no longer depend on active development for continued operation. Among the seven requirements, quantum resistance is a key priority. Buterin argued that the protocol should be secure for at least a century against quantum computing threats.

In addition to quantum resistance, the roadmap includes scalability solutions using ZK-EVM validation and PeerDAS, and a state management system that can last for decades. The Ethereum co-founder also highlighted the need for a fully abstracted account model and a denial-of-service-resistant gas schedule.

Why Did This Happen?

Buterin cited a decade of compromises in Ethereum's pursuit of mainstream scalability, which has led to a perceived backsliding in decentralization. He noted that users now rely heavily on centralized infrastructure, such as Infura or Alchemy, to interact with the blockchain. This dependency compromises the original vision of self-sovereignty on the network.

To address this, the 2026 roadmap prioritizes the deployment of Helios and ZK-EVMs, which aim to allow standard consumer hardware to verify incoming data. This shift is intended to reduce user reliance on centralized gateways and restore trustless verification.