Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin says Ethereum was never built to be the fastest or most convenient system. In a post shared on X, Buterin explained that Ethereum’s main goal is resilience, not efficiency.
“Ethereum was not created to make finance efficient or apps convenient. It was created to set people free,” he wrote, referencing ideas from the Trustless Manifesto.
Buterin’s comments have sparked debate in the crypto space, especially as users often compare Ethereum to faster and cheaper blockchains.
“Ethereum was not created to make finance efficient or apps convenient. It was created to set people free”
This was an important – and controversial – line from the Trustless Manifesto ( https://t.co/1F1Fe9OQPh ), and it is worth revisiting it and better understanding what it…
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) January 5, 2026
Ethereum Resilience Over Efficiency Explained
Buterin explained that efficiency focuses on small improvements. This includes cutting app load time from 473 milliseconds to 368 milliseconds or raising returns from 4.5% APY to 5.3% APY. Convenience, he said, is about fewer clicks and faster signups.
He admitted these things matter. However, he also noted that Ethereum can never compete with large tech companies like Google or other Silicon Valley firms on speed and ease of use.
Instead, Ethereum plays a different game. That game is resilience.
Resilience, according to Buterin, means reducing the risk of total failure. It is not about earning slightly more profit. It is about avoiding a complete loss, such as a -100% APY.
Why Vitalik Says Resilience Matters
Buterin said a resilient network keeps working even during major problems. These problems include political pressure, app developers shutting down, cloud services failing, or even global cyber conflicts.
In his view, Ethereum should always allow anyone, anywhere, to access the network and take part as an equal. This is what he calls digital sovereignty. It means reducing reliance on systems that can be taken away without warning.
Ethereum is not the world. Ethereum is an opinionated take on properties that we think should be available in the world for those who want or need them.
We need to be okay with sticking hard to our principles and acknowledging the costs of that, and yes, sometimes being the…
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) January 5, 2026
He compared Ethereum to Linux, not Google. Linux values openness and stability, even if it is slower. Google values speed and convenience.
Buterin acknowledged that this choice has costs. Ethereum may feel slower. Fees may stay high at times. But he believes sticking to these principles matters more.
“Ethereum doesn’t break on you,” he said. “And we should be okay if that means it is slower.”
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