Ethereum Price Rises, Vitalik Buterin Calls for Protocol Simplification

Ethereum price jumped 2% in the last 24 hours to trade at $3,350 after co-founder Vitalik Buterin called for a major simplification of the protocol.

Buterin warned that Ethereum’s increasing complexity, driven by continually adding new features without removing outdated ones, poses a threat to lack of trust, self-sovereignty and long-term sustainability. He says even a highly decentralized system with strong security measures can fail if its code base becomes too complicated for users to understand or reconstruct independently.

Buterin highlighted three main risks caused by protocol bloat. First, users are forced to rely on experts, or “high priests,” to explain how the system works, which weakens trust. Second, Ethereum fails the “exit test” because rebuilding high-quality clients would be nearly impossible if development teams disappeared. Third, self-sovereignty is compromised because even technically competent users cannot fully inspect the system or reason about it.

An important, and perpetually underestimated, aspect of “lack of trust,” “passing the exit test,” and “self-sovereignty” is the simplicity of the protocol.

Even if a protocol is super decentralized with hundreds of thousands of nodes, and it has a Byzantine fault tolerance of 49%, and fully… pic.twitter.com/kvzkg11M3c

– vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) January 18, 2026

Buterin calls for Ethereum “garbage collection”

To address these challenges, Buterin urged Ethereum developers to introduce “garbage collection,” a process to simplify the protocol. This involves removing rarely used features, reducing lines of code, limiting the use of complex cryptographic primitives, and introducing fixed rules, or invariants, to make client behavior more predictable. He pointed to previous upgrades, such as Ethereum’s move from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake and recent gas cost reforms, as examples of effective simplification.

Future changes could move less essential functionality to smart contracts, easing the burden on client developers while maintaining network security. In contrast, Anatoly Yakovenko, CEO of Solana Labs, argued that blockchains must continue to evolve to meet the needs of users and developers. He emphasized that constant iteration is vital to Solana’s survival, even if no single team drives the changes. Buterin, however, argued that Ethereum should eventually reach a state where it can operate securely and predictably for decades without continued developer intervention.

Ethereum Price Eyes Upside After Key Support Bounces

The Ethereum 4-hour chart shows clear signs of bullish momentum. The price recently rebounded from a strong support level around $2,950 to $3,000, which has held several times over the past month. This support provided a solid foundation, allowing Ethereum to recover from previous declines.

Prior to this rebound, Ethereum was trading in a downtrend channel, creating lower lows and lower highs. The recent break above this channel marked a key trend reversal, signaling that buyers are regaining control. Between January 10 and 16, a rounded bottom pattern developed, which often signals a shift from bearish to bullish sentiment.

This trend reflects a period of accumulation, during which sellers gradually lost influence and buyers began to gain momentum. The rounded bottom now supports price consolidation above $3,300, showing that the market has stabilized and is preparing for further potential gains.

ETHUSDT analysis source: Tradingview

On the upside, there is a clear resistance zone between $3,350 and $3,400. Ethereum has tested this zone several times, but has struggled to decisively move past it. Currently, the price is consolidating just below this zone, forming a potential springboard for the next upward move.

A confirmed breakout above $3,400 could open the door to a reward zone near $3,550 to $3,600, which represents the next likely target for bullish traders. RSI analysis further supports this positive outlook. The Relative Strength Index is hovering around 59, below overbought levels, suggesting Ethereum still has room to rise before encountering selling pressure. The RSI gradually strengthened after recovering from previous declines, highlighting the growing buying momentum in the market.

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