Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin has articulated plans for significant advancements in 2026 focusing on self-sovereignty, trustlessness, and privacy. Key initiatives include integrating ZK-EVM and BAL to simplify node operations, launching Helios for RPC data verification, and implementing privacy technologies like ORAM and PIR. Buterin also highlighted plans for social recovery wallets, time-lock features, and improving on-chain UI and IPFS applications to reinforce Ethereum's core values.