Vitalik Buterin Discusses Complex Relationship Between Institutions and Cypherpunks

Vitalik Buterin recently shared his thoughts on Farcaster regarding the intricate dynamics between institutions and cypherpunks. According to Foresight News, he stated that institutions, including governments and corporations, are neither allies nor adversaries. Buterin highlighted examples such as the European Union's support for open-source software while simultaneously advocating for chat control through mandatory encryption backdoors, and the U.S. government's use of Signal despite the Patriot Act. Buterin believes that the optimal strategy for institutions involves controlling their own domains while resisting external interference. He predicts that in the coming era, institutions will actively work to reduce reliance on external trust. In the stablecoin sector, this implies that asset issuers will aim for chain governance that is not overly influenced by any single nation, while governments will push for more KYC processes. However, privacy tools are expected to continue evolving. He emphasized that Ethereum serves as a censorship-resistant global computer, suggesting that cypherpunks should not view institutions with complete hostility. Instead, they should adopt a strategy of openness to mutually beneficial cooperation while actively defending their interests. The core focus should be on building financial, social, and identity layers that protect individual autonomy and freedom.