**[Vitalik Buterin: Over-Complexity is Undermining the "Trustless" Foundation of Blockchain]** BlockBeats News, December 18 — Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin stated that the Ethereum blockchain needs to better explain its features to users in order to achieve true "trustlessness," which is a common challenge faced by all blockchain protocols. "Trustlessness" means that protocols can automatically enforce rules through code without requiring developer oversight. However, if a protocol becomes overly complex to the point where only a small group of people can participate in its operation, then in practice, others are still forced to trust this group. Ethereum itself already possesses trustless characteristics, as transactions and smart contracts are executed by open-source code and a decentralized network of validators. But in a Wednesday post on X, Buterin pointed out that the network still needs to improve users' understanding. "An important but underrated form of trustlessness is increasing the number of people who can truly understand the entire protocol from top to bottom. Ethereum needs to do better in this regard by simplifying the protocol." When asked about the practicality of balancing technical features with user understanding, Buterin stated: "We should be willing to reduce some features at certain times."