Ethereum Must Pass Walkaway Test to Be Self-Sustaining

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin asserted that the network must reach a point where its value proposition does not rely on features not already in the protocol, likening this goal to a hammer that remains usable after purchase, rather than a service that fails when the vendor leaves. This 'walkaway test' means the core features must be fully implemented so that builders can ossify if they choose, ensuring the protocol is cryptographically safe for a century.

To achieve this long-term robustness, Buterin outlined seven areas for improvement, including full quantum-resistance, scalable architecture via ZK-EVMs and PeerDAS, a general-purpose account model, a secure gas schedule, and a block-building model resistant to centralization. He urged ticking off at least one of these boxes annually to maximize technological and social robustness.

Furthermore, Buterin emphasized the need for better decentralized stablecoins, suggesting a basket-backed model rather than one solely dependent on a single currency like the US dollar, to grant users greater independence from traditional finance.

(Source：Cointelegraph)