Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has announced that 2026 should mark a decisive return of decentralized social networks into the mainstream. According to him, a healthy society cannot function without high-quality mass communication tools — and today’s platforms are failing because they prioritize short-term engagement over users’ long-term interests.
Buterin emphasizes that there is no simple technical fix that can immediately solve the problems of today’s social media. The key, in his view, is competition — and decentralization is what makes real competition possible. A shared data layer allows anyone to build their own client application without being dependent on a single company or algorithm.
Buterin Is Already Actively Using Decentralized Platforms
Vitalik Buterin also revealed that he has fully returned to decentralized social networks since the beginning of this year. He stated that every post he has read or published in 2026 has been accessed via firefly.social.
This multi-client platform enables users to read and publish content across X, Bluesky, Farcaster, and Lens. However, Buterin noted that his activity on Bluesky remains limited due to its 300-character limit, which is unsuitable for his longer analytical reflections.
More Content Headed to Lens and Farcaster
Buterin also announced plans to significantly increase his activity on Lens this year and encouraged the community to spend more time on Lens, Farcaster, and the broader decentralized social ecosystem.
According to him, the crypto industry must move beyond endless tweeting within a single global “information war zone.” He described Lens as a new open frontier, where more meaningful and higher-quality forms of interaction can emerge.
He also praised the Aave team for their work managing Lens so far and said he is curious to see how the project evolves over the next year.
Why Social Networks Must Solve Social Problems — Not Just Maximize Profit
Buterin stresses that decentralized social platforms should be built by people who genuinely understand social interaction and human communication, rather than purely focusing on monetizing attention. In this context, he sharply criticizes a phenomenon he calls “corposlop.”
What “Corposlop” Is — and Why It’s Dangerous
Earlier this month, Buterin explained that corposlop represents a corporate social media model that maximizes outrage, dopamine hits, and short-term engagement at the expense of long-term value. It also includes mass data collection, poor data stewardship, and, in many cases, the sale of user data to third parties.
According to Buterin, this model creates a hollow, homogeneous, and often harmful digital culture that presents itself as polished and trustworthy while actually encouraging behavior designed solely to maximize profits.
While he agrees with much of this criticism, Buterin emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between the open web and the sovereign web.
“Be sovereign. Reject corporate justification. Believe in something.”
— Vitalik Buterin
The Sovereign Web as an Alternative to Digital Manipulation
Buterin notes that Bitcoin maximalists recognized the risks of corporate capture early on, which is why they resisted ICOs, alternative tokens, and financial applications beyond Bitcoin. While their concerns were valid, he acknowledges that their approach sometimes overly restricted users.
By contrast, the sovereign web, according to Buterin, includes applications focused on privacy protection, local environments, and genuine user control over content. Social media platforms should give users authority over what they see, while financial tools should help people grow wealth responsibly — not manipulatively.
Today, digital sovereignty means acting based on values, protecting privacy, and resisting psychological and algorithmic manipulation. It’s not about short-term gains, but about long-term human needs — and those should be at the core of the future internet.
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