The Ethereum ecosystem is facing a critical crossroads. Recently, voices have pointed out that Ethereum should refocus on the two core pillars of sovereignty and trustlessness in 2026, rather than continuing to sacrifice fundamental principles for mainstream adoption.

Looking closely at the current state of the ecosystem, there are indeed many issues. The difficulty of running nodes is increasing, making it harder for ordinary users to participate in validation; data security concerns for DApps are becoming more prominent, with frequent incidents of user privacy leaks; wallet applications are gradually shifting from local RPC to relying on third-party services, which means users' transaction data is becoming increasingly centralized; more critically, the power to build blocks is becoming more concentrated in the hands of a few builders, leading to control over transaction packaging and ordering by a small number of participants, directly threatening the inclusivity and fairness of user transactions.

At the root of these changes are the various compromises made over the past decade to expand the user base and improve performance. Simplifying entry barriers, optimizing user experience, introducing more intermediary layers—these have indeed attracted more participants, but at the cost of a gradual decline in decentralization.

If Ethereum is to regain control of the narrative, it must actively correct course. Enhancing node usability, strengthening data privacy mechanisms, promoting wallet localization, and constraining the concentration of block building—these are all issues that need serious attention. Core values must not become mere ornaments.