Ethereum’s core mission still needs defending

Ethereum turns ten today, Jul. 30. The anniversary comes at a time when the platform sits at the center of global blockchain infrastructure, powering thousands of applications, tools, and digital economies.

But in his keynote at ETHCC 2025, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin stressed that widespread adoption is not enough. The real question, he said, is whether Ethereum is still serving its original purpose.

Buterin challenged developers to revisit the meaning of decentralization itself. He argued that many projects today use the language of decentralization without delivering its core benefits.

For example, a decentralized application may be built on Ethereum, but if it includes an upgrade mechanism controlled by a developer team, then users remain dependent on intermediaries.

According to Buterin, true decentralization must translate into outcomes that users can rely on. He cited the work of cryptographer Phillip Rogaway, who once described cryptography as a moral contract, not just a technical field.

Buterin shared this view and urged the Ethereum community to think of their work not as neutral infrastructure, but as a series of tools that shape user freedom.

The goal, he said, should not be decentralization for its own sake, but for what it enables. If a system does not increase user control, then even the most advanced technology can fall short of its original promise.
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