Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is urging the crypto world to shift its focus back to its roots: giving people more control over their digital lives. He believes developers should stop chasing quick profits and instead build tools that protect privacy, support responsible finance, and promote true digital independence.

In a conversation on Farcaster, Buterin introduced the idea of “corposlop” — a mix of corporate greed, slick design, and unethical practices that prioritize profits over people. He says this kind of behavior is taking over the crypto space and damaging its original purpose.

Buterin praised Bitcoin supporters for recognizing the dangers of corpo-style platforms early on. He explained how they avoided things like ICOs and speculative tokens to stay true to the core values of digital freedom and sovereignty. According to him, the real threat today isn’t just government control, but also corporate platforms that manipulate users for clicks, data, and money.

He called on crypto developers to build privacy-focused apps that don’t leak user data, financial tools that help users grow wealth without risky leverage or gambling, and AI systems that work with humans instead of replacing them. The goal is to create a “sovereign web” — a version of the internet where individuals are in control, not big corporations.

Buterin also criticized how many projects today are just copy-pasting popular ideas like prediction markets or launchpads to make a quick buck. He believes this trend is harming innovation in the crypto space and pushing it toward becoming just another part of the traditional financial system.

When it comes to AI, Buterin says it should be open-source, privacy-friendly, and used to enhance human capabilities — not turn people into passive users who rely on machines for everything. He also wants DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations) to support unique missions and resist becoming tools for powerful interests. To achieve this, he suggests using voting systems that protect privacy and don’t rely solely on token ownership.

Buterin explained that “corposlop” is more than just corporate influence. It’s about platforms that look polished and respectable but actually make users dependent while maximizing profit. He pointed to social media as a key example, where algorithms are designed to keep people hooked instead of providing real value.

He also called out companies like Apple for creating closed ecosystems that limit user freedom. While he acknowledged Apple’s focus on privacy and long-term thinking, he urged them to stop monopolistic practices and support open-source development.

To push back against corposlop, Buterin encouraged developers and investors to build better social platforms where users control their own feeds and data. These platforms should reward meaningful content and long-term thinking, not just viral trends or quick dopamine hits.

His message was clear: take back control of the internet. “Be sovereign. Reject corposlop and believe in somETHing,” he said — a play on Ethereum’s ticker symbol ETH.

This call to action comes after Ethereum recently made major progress on technical challenges like the blockchain trilemma. With innovations like zero-knowledge EVMs (zkEVMs) and PeerDAS now live, Ethereum has seen a 110% spike in new wallet addresses since its last major upgrade in December.

Buterin also continues to speak out on legal issues in the crypto world. He recently supported Roman Storm, a developer of the privacy protocol Tornado Cash who is facing prison time. The case has raised concerns about whether building privacy tools could be treated as a crime — something Buterin strongly opposes as it threatens the core values of crypto: privacy, freedom, and decentralization.