Ethereum's leading voice is pushing the community to recalibrate priorities. Rather than chasing mainstream adoption at all costs, the focus should shift toward what actually matters: decentralization, privacy, and user self-sovereignty.

The challenges are real. Node participation is becoming more concentrated. Validator diversity is under pressure. Centralization creep happens quietly, then suddenly it's a problem. That's why 2026 is being positioned as a critical milestone—a year to "take back lost ground" before the window closes.

What does that look like in practice? Private transaction layers are on the roadmap. Making solo staking simpler so regular users can run validators instead of relying on mega-pools. Reducing barriers to participation across the board.

These aren't flashy features that grab mainstream headlines. They won't trigger FOMO or attract casual investors. But they're infrastructure. They're what keeps Ethereum actually decentralized instead of just saying it is.

The message is clear: if you care about what Ethereum becomes, this matters more than the next bull run.