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Vitalik Buterin Says Usable, Decentralized Apps Are Key to Ethereum’s Future
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has renewed his call for truly decentralized and usable applications, arguing that this focus is essential if Ethereum is to fulfill its long-standing vision of becoming the “world computer.”
Vitalik Buterin Calls for a Return to Core Principles
In a New Year’s message shared on X, Buterin urged the Ethereum community to realign around foundational values, positioning the network as a counterbalance to the growing centralization of the technology sector. He warned that many everyday products and services are increasingly being converted into subscription-based models controlled by centralized entities.
According to Buterin, applications built on Ethereum should actively resist this trend. He emphasized that Ethereum’s broader mission is to serve as critical infrastructure for a free and open internet, rather than replicating the same centralized systems found in traditional tech.
What “Real” Decentralization Means for Ethereum Apps
Buterin outlined strict criteria for decentralized applications, stating they must operate without fraud, censorship, or third-party interference. He highlighted the importance of the so-called “walkaway test,” meaning applications should continue functioning even if their original developers abandon the project.
He also stressed that decentralized apps must be resilient enough to transcend external disruptions, including Cloudflare shutdowns, corporate bankruptcies, political pressures, and ideological shifts.
“To achieve this, it needs to be (i) usable, and usable at scale, and (ii) actually decentralized,” Buterin wrote, adding that these standards must apply to both the blockchain layer and the application layer.
Developers Urged to Think Beyond Short-Term Trends
Buterin cautioned developers against focusing solely on “winning the next meta,” encouraging them instead to build applications that are practically useful and genuinely decentralized. While acknowledging the challenges, he expressed confidence that Ethereum already has the necessary tools to achieve this vision.
Ethereum’s 2025 Progress Despite Price Pressure
Ethereum made notable technical strides in 2025, rolling out two major upgrades: Pectra in May and Fusaka in December. Pectra improved scalability through increased blob throughput, introduced account abstraction for better wallet usability, and raised validator staking limits. Fusaka activated PeerDAS, enhancing data availability sampling while minimizing node strain.
These upgrades, combined with higher gas limits and zkEVM performance breakthroughs, have significantly reduced network costs and strengthened Ethereum’s rollup-focused roadmap.
Despite these developments, Ether (ETH) has remained relatively subdued, trading at $3,008, according to The Block’s Ethereum price data.
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