Vitalik Buterin: Ethereum's App Layer Needs “Good Social Philosophy” Most

Buterin: It's the App Layer That Shapes Ethereum’s Impact

In a recent post on Warpcast, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin emphasized that Ethereum’s application layer, rather than its base infrastructure, is where the network most needs a "good social philosophy."

Responding to a user who called for a new generation of Ethereum developers rooted in core values, Buterin clarified that the biggest need for that ethical foundation lies not in Layer 1 tech, but in what kinds of apps developers choose to build.

“Apps are 80% special purpose,” Buterin wrote. “What apps you build depends heavily on what ideas you have of what Ethereum apps, and Ethereum as a whole, are there to do for the world.”

Why Philosophy Matters Less in Base Infrastructure

Buterin drew a comparison between Ethereum’s infrastructure layer and general-purpose tools like programming languages. Using C++ as an example, he argued that infrastructure is typically less influenced by ideology.

Source: Vitalik Buterin

“Imagine that C++ had been made by a totalitarian racist fascist. Would it be a worse language? Probably not,” he said.

While Ethereum's Layer 1 is more philosophy-sensitive than C++, it still retains a level of neutrality. Certain core decisions — like the transition to proof-of-stake (PoS) or the inclusion of light client support — are driven by values such as decentralization and efficiency, he noted. However, Ethereum's infrastructure still serves as a relatively general-purpose base.

“Ethereum is perhaps 50% general-purpose,” Buterin explained.

Apps Reflect Developers' Beliefs

Buterin went on to highlight how developers’ personal beliefs and motivations directly shape the functionality and impact of Ethereum applications.

“The differences in what the app does stem from differences in beliefs in developers’ heads about what they are here to accomplish,” he said.

Source: Vitalik Buterin

Examples of “Good” Social Philosophy Apps

In a follow-up, Buterin named several apps that he believes are grounded in a positive philosophy:

• Railgun – a crypto privacy protocol

• Farcaster – a decentralized Web3 social platform

• Polymarket – a prediction market

• Signal – the encrypted messaging app

“You build apps that do the right thing behind the scenes by default,” Buterin said, citing Signal as a “reasonably good example,” despite acknowledging it has flaws.

Examples of “Bad” Social Philosophy Apps

On the flip side, Buterin pointed to examples he believes are misaligned with healthy values:

• Pump.fun – a memecoin platform

• Terra (LUNA) – the now-defunct stablecoin ecosystem

• FTX – the collapsed crypto exchange

These, he argued, reflect developer mindsets that lack purpose or ethical grounding.

The Takeaway: Philosophy Shapes Purpose

Vitalik’s message is clear: Ethereum’s future will be defined by the kind of applications being built on top of it, and that future hinges on the values and motivations of developers themselves.

As Ethereum continues to scale and attract more users and builders, Buterin is urging the community to think beyond code — and toward the social implications of the technologies they create.