Ethereum's Big Dreams: Can It Become the World's Computer?

By Vitalik Buterin

Ethereum's co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, recently shared his thoughts on the network's progress and future goals.

Progress in 2025

Faster and More Reliable: Ethereum has become faster and more reliable in 2025.
Increased Capacity: The network can now handle more activity and reduce bottlenecks.
Easier Participation: This makes it easier for people to run the software that keeps Ethereum running.

Beyond Technical Improvements

Buterin emphasized that technical improvements are not the final goal. Ethereum aims to be more than just a blockchain.

Shared Computing Platform: It wants to be a shared computing platform.
Focus on Original Mission: He warned against chasing the latest crypto trends, believing Ethereum should focus on its original mission.

The "World Computer" Vision

Buterin's vision for Ethereum is a "world computer."

Neutral Platform: A neutral platform for applications that don't rely on centralized intermediaries.
Fraud and Censorship Resistance: He stressed the importance of applications that can function without fraud, censorship, or third-party control.
Self-Sustaining Systems: Even if the original developers disappear, the systems should keep running.

Key Requirements

To achieve this, Ethereum must meet two key requirements:

Global Usability: It needs to be usable on a global scale.
Genuine Decentralization: It must remain genuinely decentralized.

This challenge applies to the blockchain itself and the applications built on top of it. Many of these applications still depend on centralized services, despite using decentralized protocols.

Progress and Tools

Buterin acknowledged that progress is already being made.

Powerful Tools: He noted that powerful tools exist to push the effort further.
Reminder of Purpose: His message was a reminder of why recent technical work matters. It's all about positioning Ethereum as durable infrastructure for finance, identity, governance, and other foundational internet services.

The Real Test

The real test will come as Ethereum moves from upgrades to real-world use. This will show how well its ideals hold up under scale.