On the second day of the annual blockchain conference ETHTaipei 2025, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin delved deep into the cornerstone of Ethereum's long-term development. He emphasized that for Ethereum to become a truly sustainable ecosystem, open-source, public goods, and funding allocation mechanisms must be comprehensively upgraded.
Ethereum must become a sustainable digital ecosystem paradigm, not just an ideal landing, but a practical, well-funded, and thriving reality.
— Vitalik Buterin, ETHTaipei 2025
Table of Contents
ToggleOpen Source: Ethereum's Foundation, More Than Code Sharing
Vitalik emphasized that Ethereum was built on open-source software from the beginning, with almost all resources coming from within the community: volunteers, non-profit organizations, companies, and foundation teams contributing together.
He stated directly that if Ethereum were not open-source, the community would not trust it, and the entire progress would stall. Moreover, he reminded that the importance of open-source licensing cannot be overlooked, as it not only protects developers' rights but is also the first line of defense against narrative hijacking and information manipulation.
Public Goods: Ethereum's 'Invisible Infrastructure'
Vitalik described educational resources, protocol research, and development tools as Ethereum's "public goods". These resources are non-exclusive and do not diminish with use, but often face funding challenges.
He pointed out that many projects flying the "public goods" banner are actually disguised business plans attempting to secure funding and reputation. Vitalik called for establishing clear standards to help the community distinguish genuine public goods from merely operational shell projects.
Open Source ≠ Decentralization: Platform Architecture Remains Key
Even with open-source code, the system itself can remain highly centralized. Vitalik provided a classic example: even if Twitter were to open-source all its original code, the platform would still be controlled by a single enterprise, which does not mean it is "decentralized".
He also mentioned that enhanced licensing terms like AGPL, while helpful in requiring service applications to open their derivative works, are not enough to achieve complete decentralization.
New Standard for Value Alignment: Are You Catching Up with Ethereum's Core Spirit?
To ensure projects truly align with the Ethereum spirit, Vitalik proposed a new "value alignment" assessment standard to help the community identify which projects are worth trusting and funding:
Open Source: Free to use, modify, and redistribute.
Open Standards: Encourage interoperability and joint protocol development.
Walk-Away Test: Can users still operate independently if the original development company dissolves?
Insider Attack Test: Can the system resist malicious actions by internal personnel?
Positive-Sum Effect: The project benefits not only Ethereum but the entire world.
These principles not only enhance transparency but also ensure projects can operate robustly in diverse environments, rather than being superficially "decentralized".
Funding Sustainability Challenge: How to Build a 'Positive Circular Flywheel'?
Vitalik also pointed out one of the current bottlenecks in Ethereum's development: overly concentrated funding sources, excessively dependent on the Ethereum Foundation and a few donors.
To break through this, he proposed a vision of building a "positive circular flywheel": projects succeed through open-sourcing and partially return their achievements to the community and public infrastructure, forming a sustainable funding mechanism. Possible implementation tools include:
Quadratic Funding
Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)
On-chain Treasuries
Protocol-native Incentives
Vitalik encourages the community to look long-term, not just chase short-term hot spots, but focus on long-term institutional construction.
From Concept to Practice: Ethereum is Not Just Technology, But a Social Experiment Field
Vitalik finally pointed out that Ethereum is not only an experimental field for blockchain technology, but also a practical training ground for "new civilization models" such as digital governance, community collaboration, and value distribution.
If Ethereum can successfully implement these principles, it will be more than just a "world computer", but a civilization blueprint with open, transparent, and shared spirit. This is not just a technical victory, but an evolution of human organization and collaboration methods.
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