Latest news with #Buterin
Crypto Insight
08-07-2025
- Business
- Crypto Insight
Vitalik Buterin advocates ‘copyleft' licensing in crypto
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has encouraged the crypto industry to adopt 'copyleft' open-source licenses amid concerns the industry is losing touch with its collaborative roots. In a newly released blog on Monday, Buterin said he was previously a fan of a 'permissive approach' to software licensing, which enables the free sharing with everyone, but has now started to favor a 'copyleft' approach. There is a subtle difference between the two. Permissive licenses allow the public to freely modify or distribute source code files. Copyleft licenses do the same, but require the user to also open-source any derivative work using the original code. 'I generally philosophically dislike copyright and patents,' Buterin said. Buterin shifts to copyleft open-source licenses 'I dislike the idea that two people privately sharing bits of data between each other can be perceived as committing a crime against a third party whom they are not touching or even communicating with,' he added. Buterin said he was warming to 'copyleft' because open source has become mainstream, and 'nudging enterprises toward it is much more practical.' However, he recognizes potential downsides in the 'copyleft' approach in that it can be too restrictive or coercive, especially in cases where code isn't publicly distributed but still has to be shared. Why I used to prefer permissive licenses and now favor copylefthttps:// — (@VitalikButerin) July 7, 2025 Copyleft in the crypto space Buterin highlighted how the crypto space has changed, becoming more competitive and less cooperative, which weakens the old open-source ideal of people sharing code voluntarily. 'The crypto space in particular has become more competitive and mercenary, and we are less able than before to count on people open-sourcing their work purely out of niceness.' He said voluntary sharing is no longer enough and must be accompanied by the 'hard power' of giving access to some code only to those who open up theirs. He added that copyleft licensing in crypto forces reciprocity, ensuring that innovation benefits the whole community, not just a few closed-source actors. He concluded that copyleft creates a 'large pool of code,' or other creative products, which can only legally be used if users are willing to share the source code of anything they build on it. 'Hence, copyleft can be viewed as a very broad-based and neutral way of incentivizing more diffusion, getting the benefits of policies like the above without many of their downsides.' Incentivizing open source is most valuable when it's neither unrealistic nor guaranteed, Buterin said, adding that the benefits of copyleft are much greater today than they were 15 years ago. Crypto venture capitalist Adam Cochran concurred, writing, 'There's some practical edge cases where copyleft is problematic, but overall agree with the philosophy.' Source:
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vitalik Buterin Uses Privacy Tool Railgun Again, Signaling Ongoing Embrace of On-Chain Anonymity
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin transferred around $2.6 million worth of tokens through the privacy-focused protocol Railgun on Wednesday, in what appears to be both a routine financial transaction and a quiet endorsement of blockchain-based privacy. It's unclear how the funds sent to Railgun — which included a mix of ETH and USDC — were ultimately used. Railgun is a tool designed to obfuscate on-chain activity, enabling investors to use decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols without transactions being tied to their personal crypto wallets. It is not the first time Buterin has used the protocol. In March, he moved approximately $500,000 through Railgun in a similar transaction. While Buterin has not commented directly on the latest transfer, his continued use of the tool underscores his long-standing advocacy for privacy as a core pillar of Ethereum's infrastructure. Buterin and other Ethereum developers have repeatedly argued that user privacy should be treated as a default feature, not an optional add-on. In an April post to an Ethereum developer forum, Buterin outlined several recommended steps for making the blockchain more private. The Ethereum community's push for privacy comes amid ongoing scrutiny of privacy-preserving blockchain tools by regulators. While Railgun aims to enable legitimate private transactions, similar tools have drawn legal fire. Tornado Cash—once the most widely used Ethereum-based mixer—was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in August 2022. The government alleged the platform was used to launder over $1 billion, including funds linked to North Korea's Lazarus hacking group. However, on March 21, 2025, OFAC officially lifted the sanctions against Tornado Cash following a federal appeals court ruling that the agency had overstepped its authority. Railgun, described on its website as a "DeFi privacy toolkit," represents a newer generation of privacy systems built on Ethereum, combining zero-knowledge cryptography with smart contract composability. This newer system, unlike Tornado Cash, incorporates screening features to deter illegal transactions. Notably, in February, Buterin commended Railgun for its successful prevention of a money-laundering attempt. Also unlike Tornado Cash, which is primarily built to help users transfer funds anonymously, Railgun helps users interact directly with DeFi protocols — allowing investors to transact discretely while maintaining full control of their funds. The project has received support from some privacy advocates and developers, who argue that tools like Railgun can serve legal use cases such as financial privacy for activists, journalists, or high-net-worth crypto "whales" who want to transact with discretion. Following Buterin's latest transaction, Railgun's native token, RAIL, experienced a 15% uptick over the past 24 in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Crypto Insight
20-05-2025
- Business
- Crypto Insight
Vitalik Buterin proposes partially stateless nodes for Ethereum scaling
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin unveiled a proposal to preserve trustless, censorship-resistant access to Ethereum, even as the network scales. On May 19, Buterin shared a post outlining how to make Ethereum's layer-1 scaling 'more friendly' to users running local nodes for personal use. The Ethereum co-founder highlighted the importance of independent users running nodes, saying that a market dominated by a few Remote Procedure Call (RPC) providers risks censorship. RPC providers let wallets, users and apps interact with the blockchain without running their own nodes. Crypto wallets are usually connected to an RPC provider behind the scenes. Buterin said there are risks to this setup. 'A market structure dominated by a few RPC providers is one that will face strong pressure to deplatform or censor users. Many RPC providers already exclude entire countries,' Buterin wrote. Vitalik Buterin proposes partially stateless nodes In addition to censorship, Buterin argued that reasons like expensive fully-trustless cryptographic solutions and metadata privacy show that there's value in ensuring greater ease for those running a personal node. In the proposal, Buterin's solution relies on a novel type of node called 'partially stateless nodes.' They are designed to help users maintain privacy-preserving access to blockchain data without the heavy resource demands of running a full node. As Ethereum scales and the gas limit increases, running a full node requires more storage and bandwidth. Buterin said partially stateless nodes address the issue by allowing users to verify the blockchain and serve local data, but only store a subset of the Ethereum state, based on the user's needs. A new node type to validate blocks 'statelessly' The nodes would operate by validating blocks statelessly. This means they don't require the storage of the full Merkle proofs or the entire blockchain history. They can selectively keep certain parts of the state up to date. This means that users could configure their nodes only to save data related to their accounts, the decentralized finance (DeFi) applications and their commonly used tokens like stablecoins and Ether. The rest of the data will be left out, and queries beyond the stored subset will fail or be routed through an RPC solution. Source:
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
1 No-Brainer Cryptocurrency Down 45% to Buy on the Dip in 2025
Ethereum is almost 60% below its all-time high and continues to decline in 2025. Long known for its complex tech upgrades, Ethereum appears to be pivoting to a new strategy based around simplicity. A simpler and easier-to-understand Ethereum could unlock tremendous value and help it regain its former luster. 10 stocks we like better than Ethereum › Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) is down almost 40% this year, and many investors are now starting to question its long-term outlook. At a current price of almost $2,100, Ethereum is nowhere close to its all-time high of $4,891 from 2021 and continues to lose ground to blockchain rivals. So, it might seem ludicrous even to consider investing in Ethereum right now. But there is one compelling reason you might want to consider buying Ethereum on the dip. Ethereum is unique among the major cryptocurrencies in that it actually has a coherent roadmap for future development. This goes beyond just a mission statement or some broad expression of goals and proposed milestones. Every year, Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, lays out the exact technological upgrades and improvements that are coming up, as well as some context for how they will make Ethereum better, faster, and stronger. This leads to some exciting technological breakthroughs, such as the much-ballyhooed Merge that took place in 2022. On May 7, Ethereum unveiled yet another technological upgrade called "Pectra" (an amalgam of "Prague" and "Electra"). As with past tech upgrades, Pectra will offer improvements in terms of scalability, speed, and overall performance of the Ethereum blockchain. The problem is that these annual tech upgrades are often so wonky and so complex that they are largely indecipherable to the layperson. This makes it very difficult for the average investor to value Ethereum and to come up with any kind of exciting investment thesis for it. For example, take the new Pectra upgrade. As the Ethereum Foundation points out, one key improvement is that "L2 scaling data storage blobs increased by 2x." Sounds simple enough, but it requires you to know that Ethereum has a two-layer blockchain architecture (the L1 and the L2), that storage blobs ("binary large objects") are a sophisticated way of storing data and a key piece of Ethereum's overall strategic roadmap, and that the L2 layer is very important now for how quickly transactions are processed on the Ethereum blockchain. That's a lot to wrap your head around. And just imagine trying to convince a neighbor, friend, or family member to invest because "Ethereum has blobs." That's why I'm so excited about what seems to be a major shift in Buterin's thinking about the future of Ethereum. Just days before the Pectra launch, he came out with a new vision to make Ethereum "as simple as Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC)" within five years. "One of the best things about Bitcoin is how simple it is. This simplicity has lots of benefits. Let's bring these benefits to Ethereum," Buterin posted on social media. This is a potential sea change. Right now, Ethereum is too complex for most people to figure out, so anything that could make it simpler to use and understand would be welcome. Simplicity is the key to unlocking Ethereum's full potential. For example, as Buterin points out, simplifying the architecture of the blockchain makes it much easier and cheaper to maintain, reduces development and testing time, improves overall scalability, and dramatically reduces the chances of "catastrophic bugs" hiding within the software. This is vitally important because Ethereum seems to be losing ground right now to a number of smaller, nimbler blockchain competitors. All of them are taking market share from Ethereum, making it impossible for Ethereum's price to move higher. At one time, Ethereum led the way with new developments and technological breakthroughs. It was the clear market leader and the top innovator. And that's exactly what made it so valuable and why it became the second-largest cryptocurrency in the world, with a huge $250 billion market cap. By simplifying, Ethereum has a chance to reinvent itself and regain its former mojo. That's it. That's my new investment thesis for Ethereum. Think about buying a new sports car. Do you care more about the sophisticated engine technology under the hood or that it can go from 0 to 60 in less than three seconds? Instead of talking about all the super-cool technology under the hood, Ethereum just needs to say something like, "We're going to process 1 million transactions per second soon, and that will make us the clear industry leader." So, don't give up on Ethereum quite yet. It has been a top crypto for nearly a decade now and is led by a true industry visionary. It could be very undervalued right now, making it a prime candidate to buy on the dip. Before you buy stock in Ethereum, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Ethereum wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $623,103!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $717,471!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 909% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 162% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 5, 2025 Dominic Basulto has positions in Bitcoin and Ethereum. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin and Ethereum. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 1 No-Brainer Cryptocurrency Down 45% to Buy on the Dip in 2025 was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Mayor
04-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Ethereum's Pectra upgrade: Buterin says THIS is its biggest threat!
Vitalik warned that Ethereum's growing complexity may threaten decentralization; Pectra upgrade triggers key debate. ETH whales showed mixed strategies as price stagnates, reflecting uncertainty ahead of Pectra rollout. As the Pectra upgrade looms – arguably Ethereum's [ETH] boldest leap since the Merge – Vitalik Buterin is asking hard questions about where all this complexity leads. Meanwhile, the market seems unsure whether to cheer or flinch. Whales are divided, price action is sluggish, and the network feels like it's pausing mid-stride. Is this the weight of overengineering starting to show? Pectra on deck, but is Ethereum building a castle on sand? As Ethereum gears up for the highly anticipated Pectra upgrade – set to expand blob capacity, streamline validator ops, and bring in long-requested UX enhancements – Vitalik Buterin is sounding a different kind of alarm. In a new blog post, Ethereum's co-founder warns that the protocol may be drifting toward unsustainable complexity, urging a return to simplicity before it becomes a liability. 'Even a smart high school student is capable of fully wrapping their head around and understanding the Bitcoin protocol. A programmer is capable of writing a client as a hobby project.' The implication? Ethereum's current architecture is edging away from that level of accessibility… and it's a problem. While Pectra does offer tangible improvements, Buterin questions whether piling on features at the base layer is the right long-term strategy. He points out that Ethereum is increasingly reliant on a small group of highly technical contributors, which risks 'centralizing control and raising the barrier to entry for new developers.' 'Simplicity should be seen as a core value, just like decentralization.' Pectra may polish the protocol, but unless the community embraces a minimalist mindset, Ethereum could be building a future that's brilliant – but brittle. Read More Ethereum's Dencun upgrade gets a new touch — Here's how Whale watch: Mixed signals in murky waters If Ethereum's codebase is complex, its whales are even harder to read. While Buterin talks about clarity, large holders are doing anything but showing conviction. On-chain data paints a picture of hesitation, one that is more akin to a poker game than a market strategy. Source: X Take the whale who just scooped up 3,029 ETH at $1,895. That's a $5.74M bet… now sitting $142K in the red. Yet since March, the same wallet has walked away with $300K in profit by buying dips and flipping tops. Not bad, but hardly a vote of long-term confidence. Meanwhile, in just the past few hours, two whales borrowed a combined $5M in USDC from Aave to buy ETH – while another wallet quietly pulled 2,250 ETH off Binance. A bullish sign? Maybe. But then there's the short whale who's doubled down with a 10,000 ETH ($17.9M) short, now $510K underwater. Source: X And let's not forget the long-term staker who finally unstaked 5,180 ETH after two years – only to lock in a $255K net loss. Source: CoinMarketCap Price? Barely moved – up just 1.83% this week. The big fish are swimming, but no one's steering. What history tells us Ethereum's major upgrades tend to follow a familiar pattern—anticipation, volatility, and eventual price movement. When the Merge launched in September 2022, ETH initially dropped over 20% within days. However, it rebounded months later, supported by macro tailwinds. The Shanghai upgrade in April 2023 unlocked staked ETH. Markets expected a surge in selling pressure, but ETH instead jumped over 10% in the following week. Investors appeared relieved by the smooth implementation. Read More Nakamoto upgrade delay raises concerns as STX struggles below $2 This trend highlights short-term volatility followed by gradual, meaningful repricing once speculation settles. Pectra, though less headline-grabbing than the Merge, introduces scalability improvements, better validator experience, and expanded rollup capabilities. Whether it sparks a rally or simply strengthens Ethereum's foundation, history suggests markets rarely react instantly to technical advancements. Instead, the impact unfolds over time. Breakout or breakdown? At press time, ETH was hovering around $1,846 with muted volatility, as RSI held steady at 58, neither overbought nor oversold. The MACD hinted at bullish momentum, but just barely. Whales seem split because ETH itself is. With fundamentals improving but concerns over complexity rising, price is treading water. Source: TradingView This sideways churn may signal compression before a breakout, or the start of a longer consolidation phase.
