Ethereum's Founder Abandons Traditional Platforms For Web3

Faced with rising tensions around information control, Vitalik Buterin takes a stand. The Ethereum co-founder makes decentralized social networks his priority for 2026, calling for an open, interoperable model free from commercial logics. This choice marks a strategic and ideological turning point, supported by concrete actions and a frontal critique of dominant platforms. Buterin no longer just codes the Web’s infrastructure but now wants to rethink how we exchange, debate, and share online.

Vitalik migrates to an interoperable social Web

Vitalik Buterin has officially announced a radical redirection of his social activity for the year 2026, after revealing a few days earlier the major reforms to come for Ethereum.

“In 2026, I will read and publish only via Firefly or other similar interfaces”, he announced, specifying that this decision is not a simple test but a definitive commitment.

Firefly, developed by Mask Network, aggregates various Web3 social protocols such as Lens, Farcaster, X (formerly Twitter), and Bluesky. Its goal is to offer a unique interface built on shared and decentralized data layers, guaranteeing the user control over their posts, identity, and social graph.

Through this initiative, the Ethereum co-founder seeks to challenge the dominant models of centralized social networks. He calls for a more modular, competitive social Web aligned with users’ interests. For him, future social platforms must rely on the following principles :

• Client interoperability : enabling users to freely navigate between different networks via common interfaces ;

• Data ownership : each individual keeps their credentials, content, and relationships, independently of the service used ;

• The plurality of social experiences : different interfaces can offer specific views, algorithms, or filters while sharing the same data foundation ;

• Reducing dependence on advertising logics : breaking away from economic models based on maximizing screen time.

This statement fits into a general vision carried by Buterin since Ethereum’s beginnings : extending decentralization to all critical internet infrastructures, including those that govern the circulation of ideas and opinions.

A critical reflection on SocialFi and new community dynamics

Beyond his technical preferences, Vitalik Buterin also formulates a direct critique of so-called SocialFi platforms based on purely economic mechanisms. He believes these models, often based on speculative tokens, create incentives that degrade the quality of content and exchanges.

“The engagement economy measured in tokens does not favor nuanced reasoning”, he writes, pointing out projects that prioritize virality over depth. Conversely, he cites Substack as a more balanced example, where subscriptions support quality content without turning every post into a financial asset.

The limitations of existing models are not only ethical. Buterin also recalls the technical difficulties faced by social Web3 ecosystems in achieving mass adoption.

Farcaster, recently acquired by Neynar, now counts more than 2 million sign-ups, while Lens, now managed by Mask Network, records about 506,000 users according to Dune Analytics data. Despite encouraging figures, these platforms still have to overcome significant challenges: identity interoperability, smooth user experience, and sustainable economic balance.

By repositioning the debate on the social purposes of Web3, Vitalik Buterin reignites a strategic conversation about tomorrow’s digital architecture. His choice is not only personal or technological but refers to a political vision of communication infrastructure. The coming months will tell if other leaders in the sector follow this path.