Vitalik Buterin:- Uniswap, Aave, Open sea, Snapshot, are just a few dApps names that are built in Ethereum application layer. But, they continue to occupy significant space in the web3 industry.
This is because Ethereum as the application layer supports the development of many decentralised applications (dApps) on its blockchain.
Development of Wallets, Protocols, DEXs dApps are the factors driving the Ethereum network effect onboarding users into web3 with simple user experience.
However, the blockchain’s founder, Vitalik Buterin believes this development lacks one major goal and need to inculcate it for proper alignment with their vision.
In a recent April 12 post on warpcast, Buterin shared his evolving vision for the Ethereum application layer. He stated that as technical and infrastructure layers become increasingly robust, the spotlight must shift to the social philosophy behind the dApps that people are building.
“I actually think the growth of app layer is exactly the time that good social philosophy is needed “most,” Vitalik wrote.
Vitalik Buterin Calls for Social Philosophy as Infrastructure
Buterin’s remarks come at a time when Ethereum’s app ecosystem is seeing explosive growth across DeFi, NFTs, social protocols, and gaming. However, he warns that the utility of these applications will be limited unless they embed values like privacy, credible neutrality, and openness at their core.
Arguing that since most dApps are built for general public user and experience, developers must focus on what those ideas mean for the world.
Vitalik Buterin states that while Ethereum L1 is about 50% general-purpose, Ethereum’s application layer is ~80% special purpose.
The apps built on Ethereum are highly specific to the needs and ideas they serve, and their purpose shapes how they will contribute to the broader ecosystem. This makes the social philosophy embedded in these apps especially important.
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Unlike C++ which is purely technical and programmable in nature, Ethereum works on the decentralised philosophy built for general purpose, Vitalik clarified.
Notably, as of writing, Ethereum Price is eyeing a key rally to $4,800 after breaking key resistance level It is currently trading at $1,664.38.
“Polymarket, Pump.Fun Lead” as Good Examples
Buterin proposed that dApps should be evaluated not just on technical performance but on how they align with Ethereum’s founding values, such as censorship resistance, user sovereignty, and composability.
He highlighted applications like Farcaster, Polymarket, and Pump.fun, Railgun, as examples of platforms that are integrating these principles.
These apps prioritize features like on-chain identity, user-controlled data, and resistance to centralized gatekeeping, reflecting what Buterin sees as a maturing ecosystem more concerned with ethics and coordination than speculation.
Is Vitalik Buterin Calling for Social Responsibility Over Profits
Vitalik Buterin’s statement comes at a time when Ethereum dApps continue to rake in billions in revenue and profits.
In April 2025 itself, Ethereum’s decentralized application (dApp) ecosystem has demonstrated significant activity and growth.
According to recent data from Token Terminal, Ethereum dApps generated over $1 billion in fees during the first quarter of 2025. The top contributors to Ethereum’s GDP during this period were Lido Finance, Uniswap, and Aave.
What This Means for Developers
For builders on Ethereum, Buterin’s message is a clear call to action: design with intentionality. Focus not just on tokenomics and UI, but on what your application stands for and how it interacts with society.
Well, that does resonates logically too as Ethereum moves from an experimental platform to a cultural and economic backbone for the decentralized web. Its application layer will be increasingly judged not just by what it does, but why it exists in the first place.
Notably, his statements come at a time when Ethereum has been rapidly working on improving its infrastructure and ecosystem. It recently introduced Oxbow’s privacy pools for enhancing user privacy on transactions happening on Ethereum. It is also soon set to push for Pectra Upgrade.
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