Vitalik's worldview and actions: The BTC community only cares about price performance, Ethereumfollow for public welfare

Co-founder of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, recently discussed his vision for the future of Ethereum, global public issues, and humanitarian aid during the Russia-Ukraine war, demonstrating how he extends from technological innovation to humanitarian action.

The budding of the first visit to China and the local cryptocurrency community

Vitalik first visited China in 2014 and embarked on a three-week visit, visiting multiple teams in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen, including exchanges such as Huobi and OKCoin, as well as miners. Vitalik was impressed by the development of the blockchain industry in China at that time, believing that it even surpassed that of the United States.

In 2015, Vitalik visited China again and worked closely with supporters such as Wanxiang Group and BitShares CEO Shen Bo. Vitalik also recalled that Wanxiang Group had bought 410,000 Ethercoins (ETH) at a price of $1.2, which not only saved the Ethereum Foundation from financial difficulties, but also became a key driving force for the development of Ethereum.

The cultural transformation of BTC, from diversity to a single vision

Vitalik recalls the early BTC community, noting that supporters from 2011 to 2013 were quite diverse, including libertarians, socialists, and others with different positions, engaging in rational discussions on social issues. However, with the birth of Ethereum and the block size debate, the BTC community gradually split, ultimately forming a single vision centered around 'digital gold'.

Vitalik pointed out that supporters of BTC small blocks focus on positioning BTC as 'digital gold' and hope to use the Lightning Network as a solution for the payment layer. However, in practice, the development of the Lightning Network has been slow due to centralization and stability issues. Compared to Ethereum's open attitude towards innovative applications, the BTC community appears to be too conservative.

The cultural differences, vision and value comparison between Ether and Bitcoin

Vitalik described the cultural differences between BTC and Ethereum as a contrast in values. He stated that BTCholder pays more attention to the rise of their own wealth, focusing on the price performance and asset preservation of BTC. The Ethereum community, on the other hand, is more focused on following the development of public services, such as Decentralized Finance, SocialFi, and global cooperation.

He emphasized that Ethereum's goal is to build a globally shared, open network that enables various applications through Smart Contract and provides more possibilities for future technologies. He believes that this investment in the public interest is the main reason why Ethereum continues to attract users and developers.

The original intention of blockchain, freedom and decentralization

Vitalik believes that the core vision of Ethereum is appropriately described as a "world computer" based on decentralization. He mentioned that in the past, most applications relied on centralized servers for data management, which would lead to price monopolies, privacy risks, and issues with user control.

And with Polkadot co-founder Gavin Wood managed to use blockchain technology to build a Decentralization information platform, further promoting the concept of free Open Source. Regarding the statement "Is Ethereum a digital nation," he believes that Ethereum should focus on providing a neutral technical platform rather than intervening too much in public policy areas.

The shock and action of the Russo-Ukrainian war, from surprise to engagement

When the Russo-Ukrainian war broke out, it shocked Vitalik. On February 24, 2022, he witnessed the Russian army attacking Ukraine with his own eyes. That night, he condemned the war on Twitter and quickly verified the cryptocurrency donation address announced by the Ukrainian government. After confirmation, Vitalik immediately made a donation to support Ukraine and called on others to help as well.

Afterwards, Vitalik was even more furious about the news of the Bucha massacre, so he donated another 5 million US dollars. He admitted that after participating in this support, he might not be able to return to Russia anymore, as he could be arrested immediately upon returning. He described this experience as a major turning point in his life, transforming him from a technical innovator to an active participant in global humanitarian issues.

The global perspective of blockchain, the importance of marginal areas

Vitalik believes that the value of blockchain lies in solving the problem of 'trust', especially in unstable countries like Argentina. He mentioned that Argentina has long been affected by high inflation, and people's trust in Fiat Currency and the banking system has almost collapsed. At this time, blockchain becomes an important alternative solution.

He also mentioned that Blockchain is one of the few platforms that can transcend national borders and cultures, and can play a role in areas where TradFi or centralized technology is not trusted. He further stated that the advantage of Blockchain is that it allows people from all over the world to use it equally, without being affected by geography and politics.

(Michael Saylor's BTC custody remarks sparked controversy, Vitalik: This is not the meaning of Cryptocurrency existence)

This article Vitalik's worldview and actions: The BTC community only cares about price performance, Ethereumfollow public welfare first appeared in Chain News ABMedia.