Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, has known as for the event of digital instruments that prioritize consumer independence and privateness.
In a January 10 assertion on social media platform X, Buterin argued that builders should pivot towards constructing a “sovereign web” that protects customers from company psychological warfare and information extraction.
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Vitalik Buterin Outlines Plan for ‘Sovereign Web’ Freed from Large Tech
Buterin directed his sharpest criticism on the prevailing web ecosystem, which he labeled “corposlop.”
He outlined this dynamic as a convergence of modern, respectable branding and predatory company optimization designed to maximise revenue on the expense of consumer company.
Based on Buterin, this setting is outlined by a “soulless” homogeneity. Right here, main expertise corporations prioritize short-term engagement metrics, akin to dopamine-driven algorithms and manufactured outrage, over real long-term worth.
I agree with perhaps 60% of this, however one bit that’s notably vital to spotlight is the specific separation between what the poster calls “the open web” (actually, the corposlop internet), and “the sovereign web”.https://t.co/okseUw8F6X
It is a distinction I didn’t understand…
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) January 10, 2026
He particularly highlighted the prevalence of pointless mass information assortment and “walled gardens” that impose monopolistic charges whereas actively blocking interoperability.
These mechanisms, he contended, create an phantasm of service whereas systematically disempowering the consumer base.
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In opposition to this industrial mannequin, the Ethereum co-founder advocated for a redefined idea of digital sovereignty.
Whereas the time period “sovereignty” traditionally centered on evading authorities censorship within the early 2000s, Buterin argued that the trendy definition should broaden to incorporate securing one’s psychological autonomy.
“[Sovereignty] means doing things because you believe in them, and declaring independence from the homogenizing and soul-sucking concept of ‘the meta,’” Buterin argued.
True sovereignty, he posited, requires cryptographic instruments that shield people from company makes an attempt to reap their consideration and capital.
“I must admit the bitcoin maximalists were far ahead: a big part of their resistance to ICOs, tokens other than bitcoin, arbitrary financial applications, etc was precisely about keeping bitcoin ‘sovereign’ and not ‘corposlop,’” he wrote
To understand this sovereign internet, Buterin outlined a particular roadmap for builders. He known as for the creation of privacy-preserving, local-first purposes that reduce reliance on third-party intermediaries.
Moreover, Buterin emphasised the necessity for monetary instruments that assist sustainable wealth accumulation. Nonetheless, he explicitly rejected platforms that promote high-leverage hypothesis or “sports betting” conduct.
The assertion concluded with a plea for open synthetic intelligence methods that merge human and machine productiveness, reasonably than software program that fosters consumer passivity.
