Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has emphasized that the future success of Ethereum depends not just on its robust infrastructure but on the ethical and social values embedded in its application layer. In a thought-provoking post on Warpcast, Buterin called on developers to bring a “good social philosophy” to the dApps they build on Ethereum.
Responding to a user’s suggestion that Ethereum needs a new wave of developers who understand and uphold Ethereum’s foundational values, Buterin agreed—but clarified that this mindset is most urgently needed at the application layer, where decentralized applications (dApps) are created and operated.
“Apps are 80% special purpose,” Buterin wrote. “What apps you build depends heavily on what ideas you have of what Ethereum apps, and Ethereum as a whole, are there to do for the world.”
The Role of Ideology in Tech Design
Buterin contrasted Ethereum with general-purpose programming languages like C++, arguing that while a language’s core may remain relatively unaffected by its creator’s ideology, the same cannot be said for Ethereum applications. He used Ethereum’s transition to Proof-of-Stake (PoS) and support for light clients as philosophical design decisions influenced by values like energy efficiency and decentralization.
“Someone who doesn’t believe in decentralization would not add light clients or good forms of account abstraction,” he explained.
“Ethereum is perhaps 50% general-purpose,” Buterin added.
Good vs Bad Social Philosophy in Web3
To illustrate his point, Buterin named several decentralized applications he believes embody positive social philosophy:
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Railgun – A privacy-focused protocol
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Farcaster – A decentralized social media protocol
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Polymarket – A blockchain-based prediction market
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Signal – A private messenger app (despite some flaws)
“You build apps that do the right thing behind the scenes by default,” Buterin said, praising apps like Signal and Farcaster for aligning with ethical principles.
In contrast, he criticized projects like:
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Pump.fun – A memecoin platform
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Terra and its native token LUNA – A collapsed algorithmic stablecoin ecosystem
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FTX – The infamous crypto exchange that fell amid fraud allegations
According to Buterin, these projects reflect poor underlying philosophies rooted in misguided or harmful developer intentions.
Why It Matters for Ethereum’s Evolution
Ethereum’s infrastructure—often celebrated for its flexibility and developer tools—provides the foundation. But Buterin argues that what truly defines Ethereum’s impact on the world are the applications built on it.
He concluded that dApps need to do more than function; they must reflect values such as privacy, decentralization, transparency, and long-term sustainability.
As Ethereum grows and attracts millions of users, Buterin’s remarks serve as a wake-up call to the developer community to not just code but to build with purpose.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Cryptocurrency investments are volatile and risky. Always conduct your research before making any investment decisions.
