Vitalik Buterin signals end of traditional Ethereum upgrades with Hegotá

Ethereum is ditching the standard playbook. Co-founder Vitalik Buterin signaled that the upcoming Hegotá hard fork represents the final chapter of the network's life as a conventional blockchain. By integrating PeerDAS, developers are pushing the protocol toward a new architecture that prioritizes massive data availability over simple transaction processing. It's a pivot designed to scale the ecosystem beyond the limits of a single chain. Buterin framed this shift as a fundamental evolution, moving away from the rigid upgrade cycles that defined the network's first decade. The goal isn't just a faster ledger, but a foundation capable of supporting a sprawling universe of layer-2 solutions. This transition turns Ethereum into a specialized powerhouse for data rather than a general-purpose computer. As the Hegotá milestone approaches, the pressure is on for node operators to adapt to a more complex technical environment. Will this structural overhaul finally solve the scaling bottleneck that's plagued the network since 2015?