Vitalik Buterin unveils strategies to restore Ethereum’s cypherpunk essence
The Ethereum (
ETH
) blockchain is in need of a revival of the “cypherpunk” revolution that was originally envisioned for the network. Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of the second largest cryptocurrency, recently published a blog post titled “Make Ethereum Cypherpunk Again,” where he outlined several ways to improve the network.
Buterin explains that Ethereum was initially designed to be a “public decentralized, shared hard drive” that would facilitate peer-to-peer messaging and file storage. However, he believes that this vision has been overshadowed by the focus on the financial aspect of the protocol, which started to dominate in 2017.
Buterin emphasizes the importance of decentralization, open participation, resistance to censorship, and trustworthy neutrality as key “cypherpunk” values that should be incorporated into the future of Ethereum. He highlights the significance of rollups, zero-knowledge proofs, account abstraction, and second-generation privacy solutions, which have become more prevalent on the network and align with the core principles of the cypherpunk movement.
In addition, Buterin acknowledges the positive developments in the industry that have aimed to solve its major challenges. He specifically mentions decentralized exchanges (DEX) such as Cowswap, Flashbots Protect, and MEV Blocker, which have improved security measures and helped prevent “sandwich attacks” on Ethereum users.
Vitalik’s plans have resonated with some users, particularly in relation to cryptocurrency payments for retail clients. One user observed that this issue has received little attention so far. Another user drew a parallel between Vitalik’s statement and the election campaign of former U.S. President Donald Trump, suggesting the creation of a new token called MEGA (Make Ethereum Great Again) to show support for Ethereum.
In a light-hearted manner, influencer Ignas from DeFi Research shared a photo of Buterin standing next to a poster featuring Justin Sun, the founder of the Tron network, jokingly implying that the title of the most decentralized ecosystem has already been claimed.
According to Buterin, the early vision of “web3” represents a different perspective on what Ethereum can be, envisioning it as a set of technologies that could form the foundation of a more open internet stack.
Overall, Buterin’s post highlights the need for Ethereum to return to its original principles and embrace the cypherpunk ideals that were once central to its vision. By incorporating these values and leveraging innovative technologies, Ethereum can evolve into a more decentralized and secure network that aligns with the goals of the cypherpunk movement.
