Ethereum Enters Second Decade with Focus on Scalability, Wallet Usability
Ethereum is entering its second decade, and this time around, it's not about proving smart contracts work. Instead, it needs to scale them while maintaining decentralization, security, and usability.
The network has made significant strides in recent years. By mid-2026, Ethereum secured roughly $229.5 billion in value, with around $79 billion in ETH staked. Its DeFi ecosystem held about $42 billion, stablecoins across Ethereum and its Layer 2 networks reached approximately $162 billion, and tokenized real-world assets stood near $17 billion.
Ethereum's next phase is focused on infrastructure rather than one major feature. The network is looking to scale both Layer 1 and Layer 2, improve wallet usability, and reduce node requirements. This includes statelessness, which could allow nodes to verify blocks without storing the network's entire state.