Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, is advocating for a shift toward a distributed leadership model. Speaking at the Network State Conference in Singapore on October 9, 2026, he emphasized that the protocol should function independently of his direct involvement.
Buterin introduced the concept of the 'walkaway test,' which measures the ability of the Ethereum protocol to continue operating through external contributions if any single person or team were to stop participating. He previously highlighted this standard at the 4th Hong Kong Web3 Festival on April 20, 2026.
The strategy involves downsizing the Ethereum Foundation (EF) to focus exclusively on four core areas: censorship resistance, open source development, privacy, and security. By narrowing its scope, the foundation aims to encourage other ecosystem participants to take on remaining responsibilities.
Buterin also suggested that artificial intelligence could accelerate the 'Lean Ethereum' roadmap. This initiative represents a major engineering project designed to replace significant core components of the protocol to improve overall efficiency.
