Vitalik Buterin Ethereum statement just broke the internet. He said you don't have to agree with him. On anything. To use Ethereum.
Not his politics. Not his food opinions. Not even his date format preferences.
He Said Criticize Him Too. He Doesn't Care.
As Vitalik Buterin on X, Ethereum is a decentralized protocol. Nobody needs his blessing. Not the Ethereum Foundation. Not client developers either.
He put it plainly. "You are free to use Ethereum in whatever way you want."
That includes uses he personally hates.
But here's where it flips. According to Vitalik Buterin on X, calling something "corposlop" isn't censorship. He drew a hard line there. Free speech means he can criticize freely. It also means he can't shut anyone down.
Two sides. Same bargain.
He also rejected what he called "pretend neutrality." Suits, he said, claim openness to all perspectives. He doesn't buy it. That model is hollow, not pragmatic.
Neutrality belongs to protocols. Like HTTP. Like Bitcoin. Ethereum included.
But people? Different story.
The Linux Comparison Nobody Saw Coming
Vitalik Buterin on X made a sharp comparison. Linux empowers users and enables freedom. Also runs the world's corporate slop. Both things true simultaneously.
He said Ethereum works the same way. You build the kernel. But that's not enough. You also build the full-stack ecosystem around the values you care about.
And then? You accept others will use the base layer differently.
According to Buterin's post on X, one metaverse doesn't own a decentralized protocol. The borders stay fuzzy. People can align on some things. Disagree on others. That's normal.
The Vitalik Buterin Ethereum statement ended with one word. "Milady."
He repeated the core point three different ways. Disagreement on defi? Fine. On AI? Also fine. On decentralized social, payments, political topics? All fine.
None of that bars access to Ethereum.
Ethereum's permissionless design has been detailed extensively in its official documentation, which outlines how the network operates without central gatekeepers. Academic work on protocol neutrality also supports Buterin's framing, as explored in research published by MIT Digital Currency Initiative.
The Vitalik Buterin Ethereum statement arrives during growing debate. Many builders argue protocol creators should stay quiet. Buterin disagrees sharply.
His view? Principles demand consequences. Technology choices follow. So does everything beyond technology.
He also said he doesn't represent the whole ecosystem. He made that explicit. Ethereum isn't his to claim.
But his opinions? Those stay.
