Vitalik Buterin Updates 2017 Position on Full Blockchain Validation After ZK-SNARK Progress

On January 26, 2026, Vitalik Buterin said he no longer stands by his 2017 characterization that full blockchain validation by ordinary users is unrealistic. He now argues that advances in zero-knowledge proofs, especially ZK-SNARKs, can make independent state verification feasible while aligning with his broader push for simplicity and user self-sovereignty on Ethereum.