Vitalik Buterin: Ethereum must be neutral at the protocol layer, and freedom belongs to the users

Vitalik Buterin emphasizes that users should have the freedom to use Ethereum, even if they disagree with his personal views on application design, politics, DeFi, privacy payments, or artificial intelligence. He believes that Ethereum's core strength lies in being a decentralized, permissionless, and censorship-resistant protocol.

According to Buterin, neutrality must be maintained at the protocol layer so that no ideology or organization can restrict participation. However, this does not mean that individuals or communities must remain neutral about values. Developers and users still have the right to publicly evaluate, criticize applications, and support projects that align with their principles. A healthy ecosystem will form when the protocol remains neutral, and people actively express their values and build based on their trust.