How far has Ethereum really come in 2025? Looking at the numbers, the progress is tangible. Gas limits have expanded, blob counts climbed steadily—these aren't just metrics, they're breathing room for the network. Node software keeps getting sharper too, running leaner and faster than before.

But here's where it gets interesting: zkEVM performance breakthroughs are opening doors that seemed locked just months ago. Verification speeds, computational efficiency—the improvements are real. Yet when you step back, Vitalik's takeaway hits differently. Ethereum's vision isn't about hitting one milestone and calling it done. The network still has unfinished business if it wants to reach the destination everyone signed up for.

Scalability is getting better. Security is holding. Decentralization remains core. But the gap between "much improved" and "mission accomplished" is still there. That's not pessimism—it's clarity about what comes next.