Vitalik Buterin Proposes Metrics to Achieve Ethereum Alignment

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has introduced a proposal to establish metrics for assessing how closely projects align with the core values of Ethereum.

In a blog post dated 28 September, Buterin highlighted that achieving what he calls "Ethereum alignment" is one of the foremost social challenges facing the Ethereum ecosystem.

However, he acknowledged the complexity of this endeavour, given the diverse array of client teams, application developers, researchers, and local communities each contributing in their unique ways.

He pointed out:

“The primary challenge is making sure that all these projects are, collectively, building something that feels like one Ethereum ecosystem, and not 138 incompatible fiefdoms.”

Buterin identified several potential "starting points" for these metrics.

For instance, he noted that the open-source nature of a project is crucial; it not only allows for security inspections but also mitigates the risks of proprietary lock-in and encourages third-party improvements.

He also suggested evaluating a project's interoperability by measuring the compatibility of applications and wallets with various ERC standards.

Furthermore, he proposed that decentralisation and security could be gauged through "walkaway" and "insider attack" tests.

He explained:

“If your team and servers disappear tomorrow, will your application still be usable?”

“If your team itself tries to attack the system, how much will break, and how much harm could you do.”

Additionally, Buterin emphasized the importance of assessing a project's overall impact on the Ethereum community and society at large, such as its role in enhancing financial inclusion and facilitating new public funding mechanisms.

He underscored the necessity for Ethereum to maintain credible neutrality throughout these assessments:

“If alignment means having the right friends, then 'alignment' as a concept has failed.”

Is Ethereum Overdependent on Buterin for Direction?

Buterin wields significant influence within the Ethereum ecosystem.

Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano, has raised concerns that Ethereum may be overly dependent on Buterin for guidance.

He expressed:

“Everybody looks to him for the roadmap. Everybody looks to him for inspiration, and he's also the only person who has enough power to rally people.”

“If you were to remove him from the equation right now, what’s the next hard fork going to look like, and how quickly can they actually get there?”

This dynamic invites a broader discussion about leadership and collaboration in decentralised networks.