[DigitalToday reporter Chi-gyu Hwang] Solana Labs CEO Anatoly Yakovenko has spoken out against Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin’s argument for “blockchain self-reliance.”

Cointelegraph reported on Jan. 17 that Yakovenko said Solana would disappear if it did not evolve continuously. He stressed that “Solana must keep changing without relying on a single group or individual.”

Buterin argues that Ethereum should pass the “walkaway test” and become a sustainable network without developer intervention, but Yakovenko takes a different view.

Ethereum and Solana are vying for leadership in the layer-1 blockchain market, but their strategies differ sharply. Ethereum prioritises decentralisation and security and stresses self-reliance over mass adoption. Solana, by contrast, promotes speed and user-friendly features. Yakovenko said a blockchain that does not change will eventually fall behind in competition, and stressed that Solana must keep evolving through automated development using AI.

Buterin previously argued that for Ethereum to be self-reliant it must have quantum resistance, scalable architecture and a block production model that resists centralisation pressure. Yakovenko countered that this approach would slow innovation and give Solana a chance to seize the market faster.