Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin argued the blockchain has strayed from its decentralized, privacy-focused vision and needs to get back to its “cypherpunk” ideals.
Buterin notes that when Ethereum first launched in 2015, it was intended as a global public platform for decentralized applications with an emphasis on censorship resistance, open participation and credible neutrality. However, as the 2017 ICO boom took off, the network’s focus shifted more toward financialization.
Now, Buterin wants to see Ethereum prioritize enabling privacy-preserving technologies like zk-Rollups, account abstraction and new anonymity protocols. His vision is for Ethereum to once again serve as a decentralized file storage system where users can privately participate in governance and polls without revealing their identities.
Interestingly, Buterin acknowledged certain centralized applications have been built on Ethereum that stray from these principles. But he remains optimistic recent advancements in layers two can help align the ecosystem closer to its libertarian roots.
If core developers and the greater community heed Buterin’s call, it could see Ethereum transition back toward its original “cypherpunk” design – one centered around individual empowerment, anonymity and resistance to censorship from governments or other authorities. A challenging goal, but one that aligns with the blockchain’s early ethos.
