Building Ethereum's Independence: The cd23 Vision for True Protocol Autonomy

Vitalik Buterin outlined a critical vision for Ethereum’s future in early January: the network must become truly “disconnectable.” This concept represents a fundamental shift in how we think about blockchain sustainability and long-term resilience. Rather than viewing Ethereum as an evolving platform that requires constant maintenance from core developers, cd23 positions the protocol itself as a self-sufficient ecosystem—much like how applications should function as independent tools rather than dependent services.

The cd23 Philosophy: From Applications to Protocol

The disconnection principle starts with an important observation about decentralized applications. The ideal blockchain habitat should host trustless and minimally trust-dependent applications—whether in finance, governance, or beyond. These applications should function as standalone “tools” that users can continue using even if their providers abandon them. However, today’s Ethereum protocol presents a paradox: while applications should ideally be self-sufficient, the underlying protocol itself often depends on continuous upgrades and maintenance from its core development community.

This creates a critical vulnerability. If the blockchain’s foundation relies on perpetual “updates from a provider” (even when that provider is a collaborative network of developers), then building truly independent applications becomes a false promise. cd23 addresses this fundamental contradiction head-on.

The Seven Technical Foundations of cd23

To achieve “disconnectable” status, Ethereum needs to consolidate several critical capabilities within its core protocol. These aren’t incremental improvements—they’re essential foundations:

Quantum-resistant cryptography ensures the protocol remains secure against future computational advances. Scalable architecture enables high-performance transactions without requiring external solutions. Decennial state design allows the blockchain to operate sustainably for decades without constant optimization. Unified account models eliminate fragmentation and complexity. Robust gas pricing mechanisms prevent denial-of-service vulnerabilities. Proven proof-of-stake economics creates long-term security through solid incentive structures. Censorship-resistant block building protects against centralized control and transaction suppression.

Each of these represents a complete capability that should ideally be embedded in the protocol itself, rather than depending on external layer-2 solutions or ongoing technical support.

The cd23 Implementation Timeline

Rather than chasing perpetual innovation, Ethereum’s developers should focus on achieving “protocol finality”—reaching a point where the network can operate indefinitely without emergency updates. This doesn’t mean stopping all development. Instead, future improvements should primarily flow through client-side optimizations and parameter adjustments, reducing the need for protocol-level changes.

Vitalik proposes an ambitious multi-year roadmap: accomplishing at least one major technical goal annually, ideally several. This accelerated timeline means that by the end of this development cycle, Ethereum could achieve the foundational stability cd23 demands.

Long-term Robustness Through First-Principles Design

The deeper principle underlying cd23 is this: getting it right the first time, rather than embracing temporary compromises. When developers deeply understand the “correct” technical solution—whether for quantum safety, scalability, or economic resilience—they should implement it fully rather than patching with quick fixes.

This philosophy maximizes Ethereum’s technical and social robustness over decades. A protocol that can operate independently, without constant developer intervention, becomes genuinely resilient. Applications built on such a foundation inherit that independence. And ultimately, this vision transforms Ethereum from a platform requiring perpetual maintenance into a true public utility—a financial and computational substrate that the world can trust to persist and function, even as individual developers move on.

The cd23 upgrade represents Ethereum’s commitment to this vision: not just building features, but engineering permanence.