Vitalik Buterin Warns Ethereum Protocol Complexity Threatens Core Decentralization Principles

Vitalik Buterin argues that excessive protocol complexity undermines trustlessness and self-sovereignty, proposing simplification, garbage collection, and backward-compatible changes to preserve decentralization.

Rich by Coin

2026-01-18

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 perennially underrated, aspect of trustlessness, passing the walkaway test and self-sovereignty is protocol simplicity, Buterin wrote. Buterin identified protocol bloat as Ethereum’s critical long-term risk, stemming from the tendency to add features without removing outdated ones.

The developer proposed explicit ‘simplification’ and ‘garbage collection’ mechanisms to counteract this trend. He outlined three key metrics for measuring simplification: minimizing total lines of code, avoiding dependencies on complex cryptographic components, and adding protocol invariants that strengthen security guarantees. Examples of successful simplification include Ethereum’s transition from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake, EIP-6780 which limited the selfdestruct opcode’s functionality, and EIP-7825 which capped per-transaction gas usage.

The warning signals a philosophical shift in Ethereum development after what Buterin characterized as a 15-year “adolescence stage” focused on rapid experimentation. Complex protocols create dependencies on specialized experts who understand intricate technical details, contradicting cryptocurrency’s promise of permissionless verification. Buterin suggested future changes could include Rosetta-style backwards compatibility, where legacy features become smart contract code rather than mandatory protocol requirements.

The developer also proposed eventually transitioning from the Ethereum Virtual Machine to simpler alternatives like RISC-V, with EVM functionality preserved through smart contracts. These first fifteen years should in part be viewed as an adolescence stage where we explored a lot of ideas and saw what works and what is useful and what is not, Buterin stated. The comments come as Ethereum faces mounting competition from alternative layer-1 blockchains that prioritize different trade-offs between complexity and functionality.