Looks like an arbitrary validation cap. By the time we're maxing out the 64-bit underlying representation we probably won't be using Ethernet any more.
> By the time we're maxing out the 64-bit underlying representation we probably won't be using Ethernet any more.
We will be using Ethernet until the heat death of the universe, if we survive that long.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet#History (& following sections)
Calling something "Ethernet" amounts to a promise that:
- From far enough up the OSI sandwich*, you can pretend that it's a magically-faster version of old-fashioned Ethernet
- It sticks to broadly accepted standards, so you won't get bitten by cutting-edge or proprietary surprises