Ethereum’s Vitalik defends corposlop comments: I am not ‘censoring’ you
The post Ethereum’s Vitalik defends corposlop comments: I am not ‘censoring’ you appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is trying to draw the line between protocol neutrality and personal expression, separating his right to openly criticize projects from any personal views because of the open nature of Ethereum. The comments came after controversy surrounding his use of the term “corposlop” to describe what he views as trend-following products that prioritize corporate optimization over user empowerment. What did Buterin actually say about censorship? Buterin has been on a tangent of separating what he sees as unhealthy practices seeping into decentralized rollouts. This time, he attempted to distinguish between criticism and censorship. “If I say that your application is corposlop, I am not ‘censoring’ you,” he explained. “This has always been the flip side of the grand bargain of free speech: I am not free to shut you down, but I am free to criticize you, much as you are free to criticize me.” The Ethereum co-founder emphasized that disagreement with him on any topic does not affect anyone’s ability to use the blockchain. “You do not have to agree with me on which applications are and are not corposlop to use Ethereum. You do not have to agree with me on what trust assumptions are acceptable in which situations to use Ethereum,” Buterin wrote, adding that users also don’t need to share his views on political topics or even personal preferences like date formats or food opinions. He mentioned that the “whole concept” of censorship resistance means users are free to ignore him, the Ethereum Foundation, or client developers entirely. Buterin also added that he does not represent the entire ecosystem, stating that Ethereum is a decentralized protocol and operates outside any individual’s ideology. Why is Buterin pushing cack against “corposlop”? Buterin has been quite vocal about what he calls “corposlop.” Buterin argues that platforms…
Filed under: News - @ February 17, 2026 5:21 am