Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin emphasized the importance of simplifying protocols to achieve true decentralization. He argued that decentralization is not only about rules being executed by code but also about expanding the number of people who can fully understand the protocol. Buterin warned that if a protocol is so complex that only a few can comprehend and maintain it, it effectively results in reliance on that small group. He suggested that Ethereum should focus on simplifying its protocols to address this issue.