Ethereum Founder Vitalik Buterin Issues Caution: Potential Threat of Ethereum Becoming Similar to Standard Corporate Protocol
In a recent development, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed a series of tests to assess the trustworthiness and level of decentralization of Web3 projects. These tests are designed to move beyond superficial claims and ensure that these projects provide real, user-centric guarantees.
Buterin's tests include the Walk-Away Test, the Insider Attack Test, and the Trusted Computing Base Test.
The Walk-Away Test, also known as the Exit Test, examines whether users can still access their funds and use a project's functionalities if the development team or company behind the protocol disappears or ceases operations. A genuinely decentralized project should remain operational and accessible even without its original creators.
The Insider Attack Test evaluates a system's resilience to malicious actions by insiders or compromised team members. It analyses whether someone with privileged access can cause significant harm to user assets or the project's integrity. Robust decentralization means limiting the potential damage from internal threats.
The Trusted Computing Base Test measures how much code—or which components—a user must trust to keep their assets secure. The goal is to minimise the amount of trusted code, as a smaller and simpler trusted base reduces the attack surface and makes security audits easier, leading to greater overall security.
Buterin emphasises that privacy should be the default, not a bonus or toggle, and users should not leak their entire financial history just by logging into a dApp. He warns against relying on thousands of lines of unverified code, as this is not secure.
In addition, Buterin cautions against the increasing influence of corporations in the crypto world, likening it to the dangers of Web2. He urges developers to embed decentralization and privacy as default, not optional extras, and to resist the addition of centralized "safety nets" that compromise user sovereignty.
Buterin also proposes shrinking Ethereum's base layer to eliminate bloat, embedding audit-friendly design principles, ensuring backward compatibility, and using light clients and statelessness to reduce validator hardware requirements.
Moreover, he advocates for on-chain login systems, local client-side proofs, and fully decentralised identity mechanisms for privacy. Even with zero-knowledge (ZK) technologies, he warns that potential is being squandered if the login process leaks metadata through centralised providers.
Buterin's proposals come at a critical time for Ethereum, as it faces a potential transformation into another centralised system due to increasing corporate influence. He encourages developers to assess their own systems honestly, ensuring that they provide real, user-centric guarantees of decentralization and privacy.
- Vitalik Buterin has proposed a Trusted Computing Base Test to measure the amount of code users must trust for maintaining security in Web3 projects.
- The Walk-Away Test assesses a project's operational continuity, ensuring users can access funds and functionalities even without the original development team.
- The Insider Attack Test evaluates a system's resistance to malicious actions from insiders or compromised team members, emphasizing robust decentralization.
- Buterin insists that privacy should be the default in dApps, warning against leaking financial history just by logging in, and advocating for on-chain login systems and decentralized identity mechanisms.
- He encourages developers to use light clients and statelessness to reduce validator hardware requirements, as part of efforts to eliminate bloat from Ethereum's base layer.
- Buterin advocates for embedding audit-friendly design principles, ensuring backward compatibility, and using local client-side proofs to maintain security and privacy.
- He cautions against the growing influence of corporations in the crypto world, likening it to Web2's dangers, urging developers to resist compromising user sovereignty with centralized "safety nets".
- The crypto expert proposes the use of ZK technologies alongside fully decentralized identity mechanisms to minimize metadata leaks through centralized providers.
- In addition to these tests, Buterin emphasizes the importance of shrinking Ethereum's base layer, minimizing the amount of trusted code, and providing real, user-centric guarantees of decentralization and privacy.
- These tests and proposals come at a critical juncture for Ethereum, aiming to prevent the potential transformation of Ethereum into another centralized system due to increased corporate influence.
