As Ethereum’s price declines and community discussions intensify, ConsenSys co-founder Joseph Lubin publicly defended Vitalik Buterin, stating that he remains the most important contributor and guardian of the Ethereum ecosystem. The controversy not only targets Buterin’s personal choices but also reflects growing external scrutiny of the Ethereum Foundation’s current status.
Disputes arise from governance-themed novels.
Buterin is currently writing a science fiction novel centered on decentralized governance and has published the first two chapters on his personal website. The report notes that the novel is set in a fictional country and explores mechanisms such as quadratic voting and AI-assisted decision-making.
This work aims to explore the limitations of DAOs, including issues such as financial imbalance, through fictional storytelling. However, this approach has sparked skepticism within the crypto community, with some members publicly expressing their dissatisfaction.
Fund changes amplify community sentiment
The timing of this discussion is sensitive. In addition to a noticeable decline in Ethereum’s price, the Ethereum Foundation has recently drawn attention due to the departure of key personnel. Reports indicate that nine core members have left the foundation.
Amid market pressure and organizational changes, Buterin’s focus on novel writing has been viewed by some community members as misaligned with the current state of the ecosystem, further fueling the controversy.
Lubin emphasizes Ethereum's long-term positioning
Lubin explicitly stated that anyone who believes Buterin writing novels is not an effective way to drive Ethereum’s growth and adoption is missing the point. He called Buterin “an extremely effective communicator.”
Lubin believes that such creations centered on privacy and cypherpunk themes are not disconnected from Ethereum’s long-term direction. He also stated that the world still needs a digital asset settlement platform with credible neutrality, censorship resistance, open-source properties, and privacy features, and that the Ethereum Foundation remains the most suitable institution to uphold this vision.