Vitalik Buterin: The threat to cryptocurrencies is the sleep of user sovereignty

Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of the Ethereum network, has resumed an important discussion about the fundamental threats to the cryptocurrency ecosystem. During a debate on technological forecasts for 2026-2030, he revealed that the concerns expressed by Bitcoin maximalists for years are well-founded. His analysis focuses on distinguishing between open networks and sovereign ones, introducing the concept of “corposlop” – a phenomenon that poses a significant danger to the original vision of decentralization.

Bitcoin Maximalism and Sovereignty Protection

Buterin demonstrated a deep understanding of the position of Bitcoin maximalists, who consistently express concern about ICOs, altcoin experiments, and speculative token ecosystems. In his view, the primary goal of this group is to protect Bitcoin from commercial interests and short-term profitability cycles. The Swiss innovator openly admits that this skepticism does not stem from ideological blindness – maximalists early on recognized the challenges associated with maintaining a decentralized structure.

However, Buterin clearly distances himself from approaches that rely on capitulation to government pressures or deliberate limitations of technological potential. His vision of sovereignty extends far beyond the protection of private keys, encompassing digital privacy through cryptographic tools and safeguarding personal mental space from manipulation by large corporations.

Corposlop: Degradation of the Open Internet

Buterin describes “corposlop” as the sum of three destructive phenomena: excessive corporate optimization, polished brand communication, and business segments focused solely on maximizing profits. Superficially, this phenomenon may seem organizational and legal, but it promotes content that incites outrage, mechanisms of dopamine addiction, mass collection of user data, and services offered within closed brand segments.

Ethereum’s creator notes a troubling trend: even parts of the internet traditionally perceived as “open” are increasingly filled with monotonous and inauthentic products. This situation illustrates how centralized platforms have transformed user attention and data into commercial commodities. Trend-following products are both low-quality and genuinely harmful. Buterin expressed regret over the loss of the experimental character and intellectual freedom that marked the early days of the internet. Corposlop has become his conceptual metaphor for this decline.

Message to the Community

The essence of Buterin’s lecture is ideologically clear: users and developers should be sovereign, actively reject corposlop, and truly believe in the authentic value of decentralization. The discussion has made the cryptocurrency community realize that the real problem does not lie in technology but in the fight to preserve human autonomy in a digital world dominated by corporate interests.