Ethereum’s co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, shared the new Trustless Manifesto. It is a document that says blockchain systems should work without middlemen or private control.
Many users liked the message, but it also opened a debate. The community is now asking if the current Ethereum design truly matches these rules.
The manifesto asks for full openness, but most people still use tools that depend on a few companies. This gap is now the center of discussion.
What the Trustless Manifesto Says About Ethereum
The manifesto explains what “trustless” means in simple terms. A system is trustless when anyone can join, check data, and act without permission.
It should not depend on hidden keys or special operators.
It lists five ideas. Users should control their own actions.
Anyone should be able to verify what happened using public data. Plus, valid transactions should be included without someone blocking them.
If one operator disappears, another should replace them. And, people should not need special hardware or money to take part.
These ideas match what many expect from a public blockchain. The debate started because the real Ethereum experience feels different for many users, at least for now.
Why Some Say Ethereum Is Not Fully Trustless Today
Most users do not connect to Ethereum by running their own node. A node is a program that checks every block and keeps the chain honest.
Running one needs storage, bandwidth, and time. So most people use hosted RPC services such as Infura or Alchemy. An RPC is a service that lets wallets talk to the blockchain.
These services make things easy, but they are operated by a few companies.
Wallets like MetaMask often route traffic through Infura by default. So even if the blockchain is open, many users enter through a centralized space.
This is the “access layer” problem that many developers highlighted. For them, the access layer issue goes against the trustlessness.
Rollups add more questions. A rollup is a network built on top of Ethereum to make transactions cheaper. Many rollups still use a sequencer, which decides the order of transactions.
Some sequencers can be restarted or updated using a private upgrade key. This means users must trust the team running that rollup.
Critics say these patterns break several points in the manifesto. They say the system is open in theory, but hard to access in practice.
This is why people commented that the manifesto describes the ideal Ethereum, not the one people use every day.
Supporters Say This Is Not a Final Report?
Supporters agree there are gaps, but say progress is there too. They point out that the Ethereum base layer still follows trustless rules.
Anyone can run a node, check the chain, and publish transactions. The issues appear in the tools around Ethereum, not inside the chain itself.
They say the manifesto is a reminder of what Ethereum aims to protect. For example, more teams are building open RPC endpoints.
Some rollups are moving from one sequencer to many sequencers. One of the examples include Espresso Systems.
Others are setting dates to remove upgrade keys. Light clients are also improving, giving users ways to verify data without heavy hardware.
For supporters, the manifesto is a guide for the next steps. It does not say Ethereum is perfect today. It simply shows what must stay important as the network grows.
Source: https://www.thecoinrepublic.com/2025/11/13/is-ethereum-trustless-only-on-paper-vitalik-buterin-manifesto-sparks-debate/
