Vitalik Buterin emphasises social philosophy in app layer

Ethereum (CRYPTOP:ETH) co-founder Vitalik Buterin has highlighted the importance of "good social philosophy" in the application layer of Ethereum, arguing that it plays a crucial role in shaping the network's impact on the world.

In an April 12 post on Warpcast, Buterin responded to a user advocating for developers rooted in Ethereum’s core values, stating that the app layer needs this focus more than the infrastructure layer.

Buterin explained that decentralised applications (dApps) built on Ethereum depend heavily on developers’ ideas about what Ethereum should accomplish globally.

“Apps are 80% special purpose. What apps you build depends heavily on what ideas you have of what Ethereum apps, and Ethereum as a whole, are there to do for the world,” he said.

Although philosophical principles have some influence on Ethereum's infrastructure layer, such as its switch to proof-of-stake (PoS), Buterin maintained that general-purpose tools, like as programming languages, are less impacted by philosophy.

He contrasted this with the app layer, where developers’ beliefs directly shape user experiences and outcomes.

Buterin identified several examples of apps with good social philosophy, including privacy protocol Railgun, Web3 social protocol Farcaster, decentralised prediction market Polymarket, and messenger app Signal.

These projects prioritise ethical design and user protections.

“You build apps that do the right thing behind the scenes by default,” Buterin noted.

Conversely, he criticised platforms like memecoin Pump.fun, collapsed crypto exchange FTX (CRYPTO:FTT), and Terra (CRYPTO:LUNA), arguing that their developers lacked a constructive vision.

“The differences in what the app does stem from differences in beliefs in developers’ heads about what they are here to accomplish,” he said.

Buterin’s comments align with his broader vision for Ethereum as a platform that integrates technical innovation with ethical principles.

He has previously advocated for pluralistic approaches to blockchain governance and emphasised community-driven solutions for public goods funding.