Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is advocating for bolder, more open-minded experimentation at the application layer of the Ethereum network, emphasizing that core principles must remain untouched.
Buterin clarified that this call for an open mindset does not compromise network security protocols. He reiterated Ethereum's ethos: providing technological and financial tools for greater freedom. Core properties such as censorship resistance, open source, privacy, and security must be preserved.
Regarding technological direction, Buterin believes the application stack requires radical rethinking, particularly as it has not been built around privacy. While Ethereum's base layer is a robust settlement engine, higher layers like L2s, wallets, and DeFi risk re-centralizing the very issues Ethereum aims to eliminate. He urges the development of radically new AI-native, privacy-first applications that uphold the chain's cryptographic guarantees.
Furthermore, Buterin critiqued the prevailing short-term, speculative "casino culture" within Ethereum, symbolized by the Milady NFT community. He questioned whether Ethereum should optimize for self-referential, nihilistic speculation or for "sanctuary tech" that individuals in crisis could rely upon.
Buterin concluded that Ethereum can grow stronger by treating its base layer as untouchable public infrastructure and channeling experimentation into AI-native, privacy-first applications and L2s that inherit its trustless guarantees.