Ethereum's core ethos faces a critical moment. Vitalik Buterin signals that 2026 could be pivotal—a year when the network recommits to the principles that defined it from day one: genuine self-sovereignty and trustlessness. The message is clear: recent developments may have drifted from these ideals, but reversal is still possible. This positions Ethereum at a crossroads between pragmatic growth and philosophical purity. How the ecosystem responds will shape whether decentralization remains more than just marketing.