Vitalik Buterin: You don’t need to agree with me to use Ethereum
TLDR
Buterin asserts that users don't need to conform to views on AI, DeFi or culture to use Ethereum.
They argue that calling the app “Corpoloop” is free speech, not censorship, within Ethereum's open framework.
Buterin warns that pretending to be neutral undermines values, urging crypto developers to clearly define principles.
He compares Ethereum to Linux, saying that there should be a whole stack of value ecosystems alongside the protocol.
Vitalik Buterin, the founder of Ethereum, issued a broad statement on personal views, free speech and decentralized protocols.
He made it clear that users do not need to share his opinion to participate in the Ethereum network. He also asserted his right to openly criticize applications with which he disagreed.
His comments draw a tight line between protocol neutrality and individual expression in the wider ecosystem.
Ethereum does not have a single vote
Buterin opens his statement by listing several areas on which he holds strong personal views. He wrote, “You don't have to agree with me on political topics to use Ethereum,” regarding his views on DeFi, AI, and cultural choices.
He explained that using Ethereum does not require agreement on any of these topics. This reflects a core hope of the unlicensed system.
He was straightforward in stating that Ethereum is a decentralized protocol. As such, no single person—including himself—speaks for the entire ecosystem.
“The whole concept of unlicensed and anti-censorship is that you're free to use Ethereum any way you want,” he said. Users are free to build and trade without seeking permission from any central entity.
However, Buterin admits that his individual voice still carries weight in public discourse. It separates its own feedback from any network-level control.
The difference, he argues, is important to understanding what decentralization means in practice.
Free speech takes responsibility in Crypto
Buterin directly addresses the tension between criticism and censorship in his text. He said clearly: “I am not censoring you if I tell you that your application is Corpuslope.”
No matter what he says about any project, the network remains open. And this, he argued, is the greatest bargain of speaking.
Moreover, he pushed back against what he described as false neutrality. “In today's world,” he wrote, “pretending neutrality in which one wears a suit and claims to be equally open to all viewpoints is uncalled for.”
Instead, it required courage to state principles clearly and point to negative examples when necessary. In his view, criticism is a civic responsibility, not violence.
He also pointed out that principles cannot be maintained only at the protocol layer. He argues that “something like freedom that we value and have consequences for our technological choices is completely separate from everything else in our lives, it is impractical – it is empty.” He says silence on broader social questions undermines values.
Linux parallel and full-stack value systems
To illustrate the point, Buterin made a direct comparison with Linux. “Linux is a technology of user empowerment and freedom,” he said, adding that it serves as “the foundation of many global corporations.” The same base layer can be used for very different purposes. He said Ethereum works the same way.
For this reason, he argued that it is not enough to build the protocol. “If you care about Linux for user empowerment and freedom, it's not enough to just build a kernel,” he wrote.
A full-stack ecosystem aligned with specific values must also coexist. That ecosystem won't be the only way people use Ethereum, but it should continue to exist.
He closed by stating that the boundaries of any shared value framework are inherently blurred. “It is possible, and indeed common, to be aligned with anyone on some axes rather than others,” he admits. Ethereum, like Linux, has always served multiple communities and value systems simultaneously.
