Vitalik Buterin warns that the complexity of the Ethereum protocol threatens the core principles of decentralization

Source: Yellow Original Title: Vitalik Buterin warns that Ethereum protocol complexity threatens core decentralization principles

Original Link: Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin warned that excessive protocol complexity undermines the network’s fundamental promises of trustlessness and sovereignty.

The blockchain architect argued that even networks with thousands of nodes can fail basic decentralization tests if their protocols become too complex for independent verification.

An important and perpetually underestimated aspect of trustlessness, passing the “away” test, and sovereignty is protocol simplicity.

What happened

Buterin identified protocol inflation as Ethereum’s critical long-term risk, stemming from the tendency to add features without removing obsolete ones.

The developer proposed explicit mechanisms for “simplification” and “garbage collection” to counteract this trend.

He pointed out three key metrics for measuring simplification: minimizing total lines of code, avoiding dependencies on complex cryptographic components, and adding protocol invariants that reinforce security guarantees.

Examples of successful simplification include Ethereum’s transition from proof of work to proof of stake, EIP-6780 which limited the functionality of the selfdestruct opcode, and EIP-7825 which set a cap on transaction gas usage.

Why it matters

The warning signals a philosophical shift in Ethereum development after what Buterin characterized as a 15-year “adolescence” phase focused on rapid experimentation.

Complex protocols create dependencies on specialized experts who understand intricate technical details, contradicting the promise of permissionless verification in cryptocurrencies.

Buterin suggested future changes could include backward compatibility similar to Rosetta, where legacy functions become smart contract code instead of mandatory protocol requirements.

The developer also proposed an eventual transition of Ethereum’s Virtual Machine to simpler alternatives like RISC-V, with EVM functionality preserved through smart contracts.

These first fifteen years should be seen partly as an adolescence stage where we explored many ideas and saw what works, what is useful, and what is not.

Comments come as Ethereum faces increasing competition from other layer 1 blockchains that prioritize different trade-offs between complexity and functionality.