Ethereum Founder Vitalik Buterin Declares that ETH Solves the “Blockchain Trilemma” Problem that Even Bitcoin Could Not Solve

Vitalik Buterin argued that the Ethereum (ETH) network has effectively solved the long-debated “blockchain trinity” (security, decentralization, and scalability).

Buterin stated that with the latest protocol upgrades, Ethereum has become a “fundamentally new and much more powerful decentralized network,” adding that the network can now simultaneously offer high security, strong decentralization, and high bandwidth.

Buterin, in a post on X, argued that the combination of PeerDAS (Peer-to-Peer Data Availability Sampling) and ZK-EVMs (Zero-Knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machines) is central to this transformation. Recalling that PeerDAS is expected to be deployed on the mainnet by 2025, Buterin stated that ZK-EVMs have achieved production quality in terms of performance, with security being the remaining key focus. He added that ZK-EVMs are expected to be used in limited parts of the network starting in 2026.

Comparing Ethereum’s current state to two major peer-to-peer network models of the past, Buterin noted that BitTorrent (2000) offered high bandwidth and decentralization but lacked consensus, while Bitcoin provided strong consensus and decentralization but was limited by low bandwidth. According to Buterin, Ethereum, along with PeerDAS and ZK-EVM, is becoming the first live system to offer all three features simultaneously.

Buterin argued that this was not a theoretical promise, but a development implemented with working code. He stated that data accessibility sampling was already active on the mainnet, and ZK-EVMs were at the production level in terms of performance, and shared a roadmap for the next four years.

Accordingly, in 2026, thanks to BALs and ePBS, it will be possible to increase gas limits independent of ZK-EVM and to launch the first ZK-EVM nodes. Between 2026 and 2028, higher gas limits will be secured through steps such as gas repricing, changes in the state structure, and shifting execution loads to blobs. Between 2027 and 2030, much larger gas limit increases are targeted as ZK-EVM becomes the primary method for block validation.

Buterin also highlighted his long-term vision of “distributed block generation.” He stated that the ultimate goal is to achieve an architecture where a block is never fully created at a single point, adding that this isn’t a necessity in the short term, but it’s crucial for the network to have this capacity. Buterin argued that the authority to create blocks should be distributed as much as possible, explaining that this could be achieved through both intra-protocol solutions and extra-protocol, distributed block-generating marketplaces. He noted that this approach would reduce the risk of centralized intervention and strengthen geographical equity.

*This is not investment advice.