Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has raised concerns about the growing complexity of the Ethereum protocol, warning that it undermines the network's trustless design. In a post shared on X, Buterin emphasized that the increasing complexity forces users to rely on experts rather than self-verification, which weakens the system's security and user sovereignty. He highlighted the need for "garbage collection" to simplify the protocol by reducing code bloat and limiting cryptographic dependencies. Buterin pointed out that backward compatibility often leads to protocol bloat, as developers prioritize adding features over removing them. This accumulation of unused components increases security risks and makes the system harder to manage. He proposed measures to counteract this, including minimizing code lines, reducing cryptographic complexity, and simplifying client development. Buterin stressed that future Ethereum development should focus on maintaining simplicity to ensure the network's security and trustless nature.