Focus On Freedom, Not Shiny Tech — Vitalik Buterin
Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, urged blockchain developers at EthCC to prioritize human freedom over technical advancements. He compared the early internet's individual liberty ethos to the current blockchain landscape, criticizing Web2 as "walled gardens" that betrayed initial freedom ideals. Buterin warned Web3 founders against repeating this mistake, emphasizing the social and moral implications of their work. He posed the critical question: "Are you making your users free?" The cypherpunk movement, advocating for privacy and liberty through encryption since the 1980s, faces challenges as institutional interest grows in the crypto sector. This has led to a divide within the community between "suitcoiners," focused on growth, and those aiming to uphold the original anti-establishment principles of cryptocurrency.
