Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin published a lengthy post on X, offering a rare self-critique of the project's trajectory. He argued that amid escalating global surveillance, technological degradation, and threats to freedom, Ethereum should not strive to become the next tech giant but instead transform into the core of a 'sanctuary technology' movement.
The Darkening World and Ethereum's Absence
Vitalik noted that over the past year, many people he spoke with shared two major concerns: first, the global situation is deteriorating—government and corporate surveillance intensifying, wars raging, tech products getting worse, social media turning into a meme battlefield, and AI amplifying these issues. Second, and more troubling, Ethereum has failed to meaningfully improve the lives of those affected by these problems, especially in areas like freedom, privacy, digital security, and community self-organization. He admitted it's easy to complain about the world growing darker, but the real challenge is to propose concrete solutions and light the way forward, not just wallow in negativity.
Examples of Liberating Tech and Ethereum's Limited Role
Vitalik listed what he considers truly 'liberating' technologies: SpaceX's Starlink (providing unregulated internet), locally run open-source large language models, messaging app Signal, and X's Community Notes (combating information manipulation). In contrast, Ethereum's role in recent online conflicts and power overreaches has been quite limited. He doesn't mind political meme coins or zero-sum gambling apps moving to other chains like Solana, but he cares that Ethereum hasn't more actively addressed these deeper challenges. Some advise Ethereum to 'stop dreaming big and just focus on finance,' but Vitalik finds that view hollow—financial freedom is important, but it doesn't fully address people's deeper anxieties about the world. Individuals can focus on finance, but the community should engage with the bigger picture.
Sanctuary Tech: De-totalization, Not Remaking the World
Vitalik stressed that Ethereum cannot 'fix the whole world,' because radically transforming the world often requires the kind of power projection that central political entities have, which contradicts the nature of a decentralized community. Instead, he proposed positioning Ethereum as part of a 'sanctuary technology' ecosystem: free, open-source tools that allow people to live, work, communicate, manage risks, accumulate wealth, and pursue shared goals even under external pressure. The core aim is not to turn the planet into an Ethereum model (all finance disintermediated, all governance via DAO, everyone on chain-based UBI), but the opposite—de-totalization. Lower the stakes of the 'battle for heaven': prevent winners from fully controlling others and avoid losers from total collapse. Create 'digital islands of stability' in chaotic times, so that interdependence cannot be weaponized.
Ethereum's Unique Contribution: Ownerless Shared Digital Space
Vitalik explained that Ethereum's role is to build 'shared digital spaces without owners,' enabling different entities to cooperate persistently. Communication channels allow interaction but aren't true 'spaces'; only blockchains can create persistent, unique objects that represent social arrangements (like currency, multi-sig wallets with mutable members, markets, and governance structures). He called on the community to redouble efforts but with clearer direction: stop trying to be Apple or Google, treating crypto as a tool for efficiency or coolness. Instead, focus on building the sanctuary tech ecosystem—support open finance and much more. Actively develop the full-stack ecosystem, from wallets and application layers (including AI as interface) to operating systems, hardware, and even physical and biological security layers.
Call to Find Real Users and Allies
Finally, Vitalik reminded that tech is worthless without users. Actively seek out the individuals and institutions who truly need sanctuary technologies, and optimize payments, DeFi, decentralized communities, and other applications for their needs. These are exactly the groups that centralized tech will not serve. Ethereum has many allies, not limited to the crypto sphere—now is the time to open up and move forward together.