Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently shared his thoughts on the types of decentralized applications (dApps) that align with his vision of a sustainable and principled ecosystem.
In his remarks, Buterin noted that it is important to create applications that maintain core principles such as permissionlessness and decentralization while delivering lasting value.
“The types of applications I want to see are ones that are sustainably useful and don’t compromise on principles,” Buterin said. He cited decentralized exchanges (DEXs) as a positive example, saying he uses them every week. He also praised decentralized stablecoins like RAI and prediction markets like Polymarket as valuable additions to the ecosystem.
Buterin expressed his disapproval of projects driven by short-lived incentives, such as the liquidity farming boom of 2021. “I don’t respect things that come from a volatile source that have no appeal, no sustainability,” Buterin said, arguing that much of the hype is fueled by token issuances that are fundamentally unsustainable.
Commenting separately on the recent arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France, Buterin offered a different perspective. “I have previously criticized Telegram for not being serious about encryption,” he said. However, he expressed concerns about the broader implications of the arrest, given the information available:
“The accusation seems to be simply 'unregulated' and not handing over people's data. This looks very bad and worrying for the future of software and communication freedom in Europe.”
*This is not investment advice.