Ethereum’s Vitalik Criticizes Fake-Decentralized Apps in Latest Interview

• Vitalik expressed strong frustration with crypto apps that still depend on Google logins and centralized servers.
• He responded to Anatoly Yakovenko’s remarks by stressing that real progress requires both strong infrastructure and steady application development.
• He believes many early hype-driven use cases faded because they lacked real value and long-term design.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin opened a direct conversation about what he sees as a growing problem in the crypto world: projects that describe themselves as decentralized but rely on Google login systems and single servers.

Speaking during Devconnect 2023 in Istanbul, he said the idea of Web3 loses meaning when users are forced to rely on the same centralized structures the industry was created to move away from.

Vitalik argued that genuinely decentralized applications need strong technical foundations that match their ideals. He said the sector should focus on infrastructure that supports true independence, not convenience features that repeat Web2 patterns.

According to him, the future of Web3 depends on the steady evolution of both infrastructure and application layers together rather than shortcuts aimed at quick adoption.

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Vitalik Responds to Claims About Ethereum’s Focus on Scaling

Vitalik has also responded to remarks by Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko about Ethereum events having too much time on scaling and too little time discussing real use cases.

Vitalik replied by stating that nothing comes out of mere talk about use cases.

As examples, he cited 2020 and 2021, when games, NFTs, and projects with rapid expansion, such as Axie Infinity, were highly sought after. Today, a lot of that early excitement has been lost as the market has slowed down.

According to him, there are creators who use speculation as a substitute for actual interaction. With falling prices and hype cycle fading, the problem with applications with weak foundations is that they have a challenge retaining users.

To him, meaningful use cases take time, proper planning, and definition of value that can withstand the bull and the bear market. He further mentioned that most successful applications may appear to be ordinary, yet they are relevant in the long term, as they address real issues.

Next-Generation Apps Need Clear Technical Direction

Vitalik also elaborated on how future applications rely on the answers to basic questions. He highlighted the examples of DAO governance, zero-knowledge voting systems, more robust cryptographic tools, and decentralized social models as areas that require cautious research before mass adoption becomes possible.

Lack of good governance, he said, would disintegrate a DAO and destroy its community. He pointed out that the industry should not be in a hurry to develop an app without proper technical and governance standards.

In his case, the most dreadful outcome is the arrival of a tidal wave of so-called crypto apps that conceal centralized systems under the blockchain label.

He requested a more principled discourse and cooperation to ensure the ecosystem is healthy and to allow applications and infrastructure to develop synergistically in a sustainable manner.

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