What happens if Ethereum’s developers disappeared overnight? Would the network crash, freeze user funds, or simply stop working? Vitalik Buterin thinks these questions matter more than most people realize.
The Ethereum co-founder dropped his answer in a detailed X post. He calls it the “walkaway test,” and it’s basically a survival challenge for the entire network. Can Ethereum function safely if every developer walked away tomorrow? Right now, the honest answer is no. Buterin wants to change that.
The Hammer vs. The Service
Buterin explained his vision using a simple comparison. When you buy a hammer, it’s yours. The company that made it could shut down tomorrow, and your hammer still works. But when you use a service like streaming platforms or cloud storage, you’re dependent on that company staying in business.
Most blockchains today work more like services than tools. They need constant updates, developer intervention, and ongoing maintenance. Buterin thinks that’s a problem for Ethereum’s long-term survival plan. He wants the network to function like that hammer once you own ETH or build on the platform.
“Ethereum itself must pass the walkaway test,” Buterin wrote on social media. The blockchain should keep running decades from now, even if no one touches the code again.
Also Read: Ethereum Stablecoin Transfer Volume Smashes $8 Trillion Mark in Q4, Breaking Records
Breaking Down the 7-Step Checklist
Buterin laid out seven specific upgrades Ethereum needs to complete. These aren’t optional improvements or nice-to-have features. He considers them essential for the Ethereum survival plan.
Quantum Resistance Comes First
The top priority is protecting the network from quantum computers. These machines don’t exist yet in a form that threatens crypto, but when they do, they could break current encryption methods. Buterin doesn’t want to wait until the last minute to fix this.
“Being able to say Ethereum’s protocol is cryptographically safe for a hundred years is something we should strive to get as soon as possible,” he stated. Individual users can choose when to upgrade their security, but a protocol serving millions of people can’t afford to gamble on timing.
Scaling Without Shortcuts
Second on the list is scalability. Ethereum needs to handle thousands of transactions per second while staying decentralized. The plan involves zero-knowledge EVM validation and data availability techniques like PeerDAS.
The network already made progress here. Data availability sampling is live on mainnet, and ZK-EVMs reached alpha stage with production-quality performance. But Buterin wants more than just working technology. He wants an Ethereum survival framework that lasts decades without needing major overhauls.
State Management for the Long Haul
Third is building a state architecture that won’t collapse under its own weight. As Ethereum grows, data storage becomes a bigger challenge. Without careful design, running a node could become so expensive that only large companies can afford it. That would kill decentralization.
Buterin emphasized keeping the network lightweight enough for ordinary participants to verify it years from now. No blockchain survives long-term if regular people can’t run nodes.
Account Abstraction Everywhere
Fourth on the checklist is full account abstraction. This means modernizing how Ethereum handles accounts and signatures. The goal is more flexible wallet designs, better security, and less dependence on external tools.
Current systems work but weren’t built for the scale Ethereum needs. Account abstraction fixes some of these limitations while making the network more user-friendly.
Gas Pricing That Actually Works
The fifth requirement is a gas schedule with no denial-of-service vulnerabilities. Gas pricing prevents spam and keeps the network running smoothly. But the current system has weaknesses that attackers could exploit, especially as zero-knowledge proving becomes more common.
Buterin wants gas costs to correctly reflect computational expenses forever, not just for now. That means building in protections against future attack vectors that might not even exist yet.
Decentralized Proof-of-Stake
Number six is maintaining a truly decentralized proof-of-stake model. As staking grows and becomes more professional, there’s a risk of centralization. Big players could dominate if the economic model isn’t designed correctly.
The Ethereum survival plan includes keeping ETH useful as trustless collateral, particularly for stablecoins that don’t rely heavily on governance. A credibly neutral chain with predictable rules makes these use cases stronger.
Censorship Resistance
The final piece is censorship-resistant block building. Ethereum should include all valid transactions, even under regulatory pressure or political interference. This isn’t about helping bad actors. It’s about ensuring the network remains neutral and functional regardless of external forces.
Also Read: Ethereum’s First ZK-Rollup zkSync Lite to Shut Down in 2026. Is This the End of an Era?
Why This Changes Everything for ETH’s Value
If Ethereum achieves these goals, what changes for people holding ETH? Quite a bit, actually.
First, ETH becomes more valuable as collateral. If the base layer is rock-solid and won’t need constant protocol changes, people can trust it for long-term financial applications. Think ETH-backed stablecoins or decentralized lending that doesn’t depend on ongoing governance decisions.
Second, future upgrades would happen through parameter changes rather than complete protocol overhauls. Validators would vote on scaling adjustments the same way they currently vote on gas limits. The base protocol stays stable while applications keep innovating on top.
Third, you wouldn’t need to worry about whether developers remain interested in Ethereum five or ten years from now. The network would function independently, like infrastructure rather than a startup product.
Timeline and Expectations
Buterin expects at least one item from the checklist to be completed each year. Ideally, the team finishes multiple boxes per year. He’s pushing for the heavy work to happen now rather than postponing difficult decisions.
“Do the right thing once, based on knowledge of what is truly the right thing,” Buterin wrote. His approach prioritizes getting foundations right over rushing new features.
The entire plan could take five to seven years to complete fully. That might sound slow in an industry obsessed with speed, but Buterin thinks building for centuries matters more than shipping fast.
Also Read: Vitalik Proposes the Future of Gas Fees on Ethereum
Crypto Twitter Actually Agrees on Something
The crypto community largely backed Buterin’s vision. One observer noted that a blockchain’s real value shows when it keeps working after teams vanish or incentives change. Protocols should act like durable infrastructure, not fragile platforms.
Others praised the emphasis on long-term thinking. Too many projects chase trends or promise features they can’t deliver. Buterin’s Ethereum survival plan takes the opposite approach.
Some developers pointed out the massive technical challenges ahead. Implementing quantum resistance alone requires solving problems that don’t have clear solutions yet. But most agreed the direction makes sense even if execution proves difficult.
Can Any Blockchain Really Go Autopilot?
Buterin’s walkaway test raises questions beyond Ethereum. Can any blockchain truly become independent of its creators? Most networks rely heavily on core development teams for security patches, performance improvements, and new features.
Bitcoin comes closest to passing the test today. The protocol changes slowly and could theoretically run for years without updates. But even Bitcoin has an active developer community fixing bugs and optimizing code.
Ethereum takes a different approach. Instead of starting simple and staying that way, it’s building advanced features first, then locking them down once complete. The bet is that a feature-rich but stable platform beats a minimalist but limited one.
Only time will tell if the strategy works. But at least Ethereum has a clear plan for its survival beyond the next bull run or market cycle.
Also Read: Ethereum Price Prediction 2025-2028: The World Computer’s Path to Digital Transformation
What is Vitalik’s walkaway test for Ethereum?
The walkaway test asks whether Ethereum could function safely and effectively if all its developers disappeared tomorrow. Buterin wants the network to operate independently without ongoing human intervention.
How long will Ethereum’s survival plan take to complete?
Buterin expects the seven-step plan to take several years, with at least one major upgrade completed annually. Full implementation might require five to seven years of focused development work.
Why is quantum resistance so important for Ethereum?
Quantum computers could eventually break current encryption methods, threatening user funds and network security. Buterin believes waiting until quantum computers become practical is too risky and wants protections built in now.
Will Ethereum stop receiving updates after these changes?
No, updates would continue, but they’d focus on parameter adjustments rather than fundamental protocol changes. The base layer would remain stable while applications keep evolving on top of it.
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