365Crypto
Vitalik Buterin wants Ethereum developers to build with purpose. And no, not just to get rich.
In a recent Warpcast post, Buterin said Ethereum’s biggest need isn’t new infrastructure. It’s better ideas at the application layer.
That’s where all the dApps live—like social networks, marketplaces, and messaging tools. That’s also where beliefs shape code.
He said, “Apps are 80% purpose-driven. What we build depends on our vision for Ethereum’s role in the world.”
Buterin compared Ethereum to programming languages like C++. If a fascist created C++, it’d still work fine. But Ethereum is different.
Its design is shaped by values like decentralization and sustainability. That’s why, he says, it took five years to switch Ethereum to proof-of-stake.
Some devs might not care about waste or user control. Those devs probably wouldn’t build light clients or privacy features.
That’s why Buterin says the app layer is where social philosophy matters most.
Apps with Values (and Without)
Buterin praised tools like Railgun (privacy), Farcaster (decentralized social), Polymarket (prediction markets), and Signal (encrypted chat).
“These apps try to do the right thing behind the scenes by default,” he said.
As for the bad ones? Buterin called out Pump.fun, Terra, and FTX as examples of apps built with shady intentions or sloppy ethics.
The difference, he said, comes down to the developer’s mindset: Are they here to help people—or just cash in?
