EthCC: Vitalik Buterin believes crypto has reached an ‘inflection point’

2025/07/02 20:03

At the EthCC, Vitalik Buterin says that crypto has reached a significant turning point, signified by mainstream adoption from big players and political figures. As a result, the focus for building in the space must also change.

During his annual talk at the Ethereum Community Conference or the EthCC on July 2, Ethereum (ETH) co-founder Vitalik Buterin declared that the crypto space has reached what he calls “an inflection point” throughout its 10-15 year run. He said that crypto is no longer a niche space where people can come up with “crazy stuff” that make it difficult to navigate.

“We’re at the stage where it’s becoming very unambiguous that the space as a whole is not an underdog upstart,” said Buterin during his speech at the EthCC.

He explained that crypto has already gone mainstream, signified by the support it has received from large institutions as well as major political figures like the President of the United States, Donald Trump.

Because of this evolutionary shift, Buterin believes there also needs to be a philosophical shift in crypto builders’ mind when they’re thinking about what to build in the space and how it can contribute to decentralization.

“We’re decentralized because we make our users free. So if you’re building something, the first question to ask is, are you making your users free?” added Buterin at the EthCC.

EthCC Vitalik Buterin: What needs to be improved in the crypto space?

In his speech at the EthCC, Buterin mentioned some areas in the crypto space that need to be improved. First, he highlights that many Layer 2 solutions, DEXs, and similar apps claim to be decentralized but often have hidden backdoors or upgrade keys that can be triggered without user consent. This undermines the trustless nature of the blockchain since, despite being technically on-chain.

Second, he mentioned dApp interfaces that contain security weak points. Hackers can attack the front end of the platform rather than infiltrating it through the hardened contract. Buterin emphasized the importance of decentralized front-end solutions, like using static HTML on IPFS or specialized secure interface frameworks.

Third, Buterin criticized the current governance model of DAO token holders. He observed voting power often turns into an auction, letting people “buy” the most number of votes. Despite being decentralized on paper, these systems tend to concentrate power structurally.

“Governance is something where you don’t just need to think about the formal rules being decentralized, you need to think about whether or not it’s enabling outcomes that are decentralized,” said Buterin.

Fourth is the trade-off related to zero-knowledge proof identity. Although ZK proofs are able to provide privacy by enforcing a “one person, one account” rule, other people can easily access it by forcing someone to give up their master identity key.

With the master key in possession, the thief can trace everything the user has done. In his EthCC speech, Buterin warned that privacy is not just about ZK math, but also about preventing systemic ways that identities can be compromised.

Finally, Buterin warned against builders treating privacy as an “add-on feature” instead of a vital part of establishing a project. He said data leaks can happen not just when writing to the chain, but also when reading from it, such as via RPC providers, or even through IP-level tracking. He emphasized that the crypto community should treat any form of data leakage as a bug to be fixed, urging for more holistic privacy solutions.

Disclaimer: The articles reposted on this site are sourced from public platforms and are provided for informational purposes only. They do not necessarily reflect the views of MEXC. All rights remain with the original authors. If you believe any content infringes on third-party rights, please contact service@support.mexc.com for removal. MEXC makes no guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the content and is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided. The content does not constitute financial, legal, or other professional advice, nor should it be considered a recommendation or endorsement by MEXC.

You May Also Like

OPTO Miner Launches New Mobile App, Allows Everyone to Participate in Cryptocurrency Mining with Zero Threshold

OPTO Miner Launches New Mobile App, Allows Everyone to Participate in Cryptocurrency Mining with Zero Threshold

OPTO Miner, the world’s leading green cloud mining platform, officially released its new mobile app, aiming to provide users with a more convenient and smarter cryptocurrency mining experience. Whether you are a veteran cryptocurrency player or a novice who has just come into contact with digital assets, you can easily start your crypto mining journey with just a mobile phone. As a British technology company focusing on the integration of green energy and cloud computing, OPTO Miner is committed to making crypto mining as simple as using an app in daily life. The mobile app launched this time not only supports popular currencies such as BTC (Bitcoin), DOGE (Dogecoin), LTC (Litecoin), but also provides a true “0 device, 0 technology” threshold, allowing all users to participate in the blockchain revenue ecosystem at the lowest cost. Anytime, Anywhere, One-click to Open a New Era of “Mining on Your Palm” With the OPTO Miner App, users can keep track of mining progress, adjust contract parameters or view real-time earnings at any time without connecting to a computer or configuring complicated mining equipment. Whether on the subway, during lunch break, or on a business trip, cloud computing power can run continuously, truly realizing the possibility of “lying down to make money”. “We hope that every ordinary user can also have the opportunity to participate in the blockchain ecosystem, not just geeks or institutional investors.” The project leader of OPTO Miner said, “This App is an important step we have taken.” Core Highlights Preview: Why Choose OPTO Miner App? 1. True mobile cloud mining experience From interface design to functional layout, the entire App is optimized around user experience. Without complicated operations, users can view income and manage contracts with one click, and the usage logic is no different from mainstream financial apps. 2. Multi-currency support and flexible asset management The platform supports recharge, mining and settlement of more than ten mainstream crypto assets such as BTC, ETH, DOGE, XRP, USDT, etc. Users can flexibly configure combinations according to their preferences to create a personalized crypto asset portfolio. 3. Top security system The application integrates McAfee® security protection and Cloudflare® network acceleration. All data transmission is end-to-end encrypted, and the privacy of user funds and information is protected in multiple ways. 4. Exclusive benefits for new users From now on, new users can immediately get a free computing power reward worth $15, and get an additional $0.6 mining income through daily sign-in, which is truly “0 investment, first experience”. 5. Flexible contract mechanism From short-term experience contracts to medium- and long-term stable income plans, OPTO Miner provides a variety of mining packages to suit the risk preferences and funding plans of different users. The system automatically settles daily, and the income is credited in real time. Register and receive newbie bonus: Get $15 worth of free computing power bonus for the first registration Choose a mining contract and enjoy daily income: Flexible configuration, contract income is automatically settled daily For more details, please visit the official website . About OPTO Miner Founded in 2018 and headquartered in the UK, OPTO Miner is the world’s leading green energy cloud mining platform, focusing on combining renewable energy with blockchain computing power to provide a low-carbon, transparent and inclusive crypto asset participation channel. Currently, the platform service has covered 180+ countries and regions, with more than 7 million registered users worldwide, and has multiple green mines in the UK, the United States, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan and other places. The release of this App means that OPTO Miner has officially entered a new era of mobile mining. In the future, the platform will continue to optimize its technical architecture, expand support for more currencies and green compliance standards, so that everyone can own their own digital asset future anytime, anywhere.
Share
CryptoNews2025/07/29 23:38
SharpLink Secures 438K ETH, Spending $290M in Weeklong Buying Spree

SharpLink Secures 438K ETH, Spending $290M in Weeklong Buying Spree

SharpLink Gaming, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBET), known for its bold Ethereum accumulation strategy, has confirmed it now holds approximately 438,190 ETH as of July 27, 2025. NEW: SharpLink now holds ~438,190 ETH Between July 21–27, SharpLink acquired ~77,210 ETH for ~$290M at an average price of ~$3,756 ETH-per-share (“ETH Concentration”) is now ~3.40, up from ~3.06 last week, and ~70% since we began the strategy on June 2nd Cumulative staking… pic.twitter.com/4H9DYQ0Ukv — SharpLink (SBET) (@SharpLinkGaming) July 29, 2025 The company acquired 77,209.58 ETH during the week of July 21–27, spending a total of around $290 million at an average purchase price of $3,756. This marks a 21% increase from the previous week’s ending balance of 360,807 ETH. According to SharpLink’s latest capital summary, this acquisition continues the company’s aggressive treasury strategy launched in early June, which has rapidly expanded its digital asset position. Staking Rewards and Strategic Intent Alongside its purchases, SharpLink continues to receive staking rewards, adding 0.2K ETH in the week ending July 27. This brings its cumulative staking rewards to 722 ETH since launching the strategy on June 2, 2025. The company’s ETH concentration—measuring ETH relative to its overall capital structure—rose to 3.40, up from 3.06 the prior week and a 70% increase since the program began. Capital Raised Through ATM Facility To fuel its purchases, SharpLink raised $279.2 million in net proceeds through its at-the-market (ATM) share issuance facility during the week of July 21–25. A total of 10.8 million shares were issued during that week alone. This follows a previous issuance of 3.8 million shares the week prior, reflecting growing investor interest and confidence in the company’s strategy. Since July began, SharpLink has raised over $850 million through ATM issuance, allowing continued purchases without heavy reliance on external financing or leverage. Leadership and Vision Going Forward Adding momentum to the company’s evolving direction, Joseph Chalom—former digital asset strategist at BlackRock—officially assumed his role as Co-CEO on July 24. Commenting on his decision to join SharpLink, Chalom said. “I see a powerful opportunity to help shape the future of financial infrastructure and decentralized finance. SharpLink’s commitment to aligning its strategic direction with the Ethereum ecosystem resonates with my passion for digital assets and scaling innovation in global finance. I’m thrilled to be leading SharpLink into its next phase.” SharpLink Becomes Largest Public Holder of Ethereum SharpLink Gaming is officially the leading public company holding Ethereum, now controlling 360,807 ETH—valued at approximately $1.33 billion—according to fresh data from analytics platform CoinGecko. What sets SharpLink apart is not just the size of its ETH treasury, but how it’s used. The company reports that over 95% of its Ethereum is either staked or deployed through liquid staking platforms. $SBET Price Action SharpLink Gaming, stock trading under “SBET,” has seen a huge surge over the past month, with its stock price rising by 110.73% to $20.92. The rapid increase from around $10 at the beginning of July to a peak above $35 mid-month suggests heightened investor interest, possibly fueled by speculative momentum or expectations of a strategic development. While the price has since cooled off from that high, the stock remains elevated compared to its early-July levels.
Share
CryptoNews2025/07/30 00:10