Vitalik Buterin’s Ethereum Playbook: Neutrality for Dummies (And by Dummies, We Mean Everyone)

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So, Vitalik says you don’t have to agree with him on apps, trust assumptions, politics, DeFi, decentralized social platforms, privacy-preserving payments, AI, or even your cultural preferences… but somehow you’re still expected to use Ethereum. Spoiler: It works better if you just nod and smile.

He’s basically saying, “Disagree with me on one thing? Great! Disagree with me on everything else? Still great! Just don’t expect me to host a family therapy session.”

“Corposlop” Isn’t Censorship. It’s Just Your Opinion, But Ugly

In a long X post that probably required a scroll wheel and a therapist, Buterin clarified he’s not the boss of Ethereum. The network’s “permissionless” and “censorship-resistant,” which means you can use it however you want-even if it makes him cringe. He calls out apps he dislikes as “corposlop,” which is just tech-speak for “this makes me want to throw a hissy fit in a blockchain-themed rage room.” But hey, free speech! You can’t stop someone from building a crypto-based cat meme factory… but you can definitely roast it on Twitter.

Buterin also took aim at “pretend neutrality”-like when someone says, “I’m totally open-minded!” while secretly judging your life choices. He argues protocols like Ethereum should be neutral, but people? Not so much. “Just state your principles and don’t act like a human Swiss Army knife of opinions,” he probably said, while eating a salad.

The “Freedom” Trend: Still Cringe, Still Corporate

Buterin then dropped the mic on the hollow use of “freedom” in tech. Because nothing says “liberation” like a platform that lets you sell NFTs but still tracks your data for ads. He’s all for building a metaverse where principles matter, but warns against treating it like a group project where everyone agrees on nothing. “Sure, we can all agree blockchain is revolutionary… but no, we’re not agreeing on the memes,” he sighs.

And just when you thought he was done, Buterin threw in a surprise cameo from Bitcoin maximalists. Turns out, he’s been vibing with their “sovereignty” hot takes for a month. Because nothing says “trust in humanity” like arguing the internet is just a corporate playground. But hey, at least he’s consistent-if the future’s dystopian, he’ll be the one handing out shade in ETH.

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2026-02-18 00:10