Buterin’s vision for Ethereum extends far beyond payments and DeFi. He sees decentralized apps as the foundation for identity systems, governance tools, and civil infrastructure that can outlast companies, ideologies, and political cycles.

To get there, Ethereum must prioritize applications that protect privacy, remain stable during crises, and remove hidden trust assumptions. In Buterin’s words, decentralization doesn’t usually fail through force — it erodes through convenience. Building truly resilient DApps may be harder, but the payoff could redefine how the internet itself works.