Vitalik Buterin: Ethereum must withstand the day when all core developers leave On April 20, 2026, Vitalik Buterin @VitalikButerin delivered a speech at the Web3 Festival. He stated that Ethereum's goal is not to compete with high-frequency trading platforms or become the fastest public chain, but to be a secure, decentralized, and trustworthy foundational network. He believes that in order to support long-term digital assets, Ethereum is leveraging AI to advance formal verification and quantum resistance. Ultimately, it needs to pass the 'Walkaway Test,' similar to Bitcoin—meaning the network should be able to autonomously and stably operate as a long-term cornerstone even without any involvement from core developers. Source: Web3 Festival