- Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin says the protocol’s base layer should “ossify” or stop changing over time.
- Buterin believes future innovation should be focused on Layer 2 solutions, not the core protocol.
- This shift prioritizes stability and security for the mature network, which secures billions in value.
- He also warned that quantum computing could break Ethereum’s current cryptography within years.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has a bold new vision for the world’s leading smart contract platform: it’s time to stop changing its core. Speaking at the Devconnect conference, Buterin argued that Ethereum should embrace “ossification,” a deliberate process of locking down the blockchain’s base layer to prevent future alterations.
“More and more ossification over time is good for Ethereum,” Buterin stated, adding that a lower rate of surprises is healthy for a network of its scale. This marks a significant shift from Ethereum’s early days, when its flexibility and capacity for evolution were key attractions for developers.
Prioritizing Stability Over Flexibility
According to Buterin, as Ethereum has matured into a global settlement layer securing hundreds of billions of dollars, the need for stability has surpassed the need for base-layer adaptability. Constant changes at the core protocol level introduce risks and potential bugs that the ecosystem can no longer afford.
The goal isn’t to halt progress but to redirect it. For a network of Ethereum’s size, Buterin suggests, being boring and predictable is now a feature, not a flaw. This ensures the foundation remains solid and trustworthy for the countless applications built on top of it.
Shifting Innovation to Layer 2
Buterin’s vision calls for the next wave of crypto innovation to happen on the surrounding ecosystem, particularly on Layer 2 scaling solutions. He emphasized that development should focus on rollups, wallets, privacy tools, and user-facing applications rather than fundamental protocol upgrades.
“It’s healthy to move attention out of L1 and into the surrounding ecosystem,” Buterin explained.
Layer 2 networks already process the majority of Ethereum’s transaction volume. By officially shifting the focus of innovation to this layer, the mainnet (Layer 1) can be dedicated to what it does best: providing decentralized security and settlement.
The Quantum Computing Threat
Looking ahead, Buterin issued a stark warning about the looming threat of quantum computing. He noted that elliptic curve cryptography, the security foundation for both Ethereum and Bitcoin, could potentially be broken by quantum computers before the next U.S. presidential election in 2028.
“Elliptic curves are going to die,” he stated, highlighting the urgent need for the ecosystem to migrate to quantum-resistant cryptography.
This massive technical challenge will require immense coordination. However, in line with his philosophy of ossification, Buterin suggested these critical security upgrades should happen at the edges of the network—within wallets and applications—rather than by overhauling Ethereum’s increasingly unchangeable core.
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