Co-founder of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, has recently published a lengthy article titled “The End of My Childhood” to reflect on his experiences and thoughts as he turns 30. The article provides an overview of his reflections, which we consider to be his most important and worth reading ideas.
Contents:
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No longer a prodigy, should pass the torch to younger people
Pursuit and reflection on life
The Ukrainian war, FTX collapse, Putin meeting as major turning points in life
The crypto field that focuses on “money” should not ignore broader developments
The vitality of the crypto community: progress through cooperation and respect
Taiwan is a part of the global crypto community according to Vitalik
Vitalik’s four personal reflections
Vitalik’s realization of adulthood beyond his age
Vitalik Buterin recalls his experiences at a hackathon, visiting a hacker house, and participating in Zuzalu in Montenegro in 2022. He emphasizes how individuals ten years younger than him are taking on leadership roles in various projects, including crypto audits and Ethereum layer 2 scalability. He recalls visiting a hacker house in South Korea and feeling noticeably older than the other participants, marking a transition from being a young prodigy hailed as a world-changer, similar to figures like Mark Zuckerberg.
This reflection made him realize that he has transitioned from being a pioneering young person to a new role, and it is time to pass the torch to the next generation.
Vitalik Buterin discusses his stance on life extension and the philosophical questions associated with the meaning of life and its finite nature. Initially, he dismissed the idea that the scarcity of life could increase its value and opposed the view that extending survival could bring more weariness than the finality of death.
He states that when viable alternatives are available, people are likely to reject biological death and suffering.
Over time, Vitalik’s perspective evolved to recognize that all experiences in life, such as friendships, personal identities, and social norms, are transient regardless of the overall duration of life. He reflects on the transition of his own identity, from focusing on mathematics and economics to dealing with the complexity of governance and the intangible aspects of human coordination and culture. Vitalik points out his shift in intellectual pursuits, from seeking the optimal mathematical solution to using mathematics as a tool for rough prediction and understanding of social dynamics.
He also acknowledges the role of modern artificial intelligence (AI) in providing new ways to engage in human interaction, making abstract concepts like “atmosphere” more concrete and analyzable. Vitalik concludes by emphasizing the ongoing nature of change, indicating that the finiteness and renewability of life exist regardless of its actual length. He shares his personal choice of embracing change and renewal through a digital nomadic lifestyle and proposes unconventional approaches to finding the meaning and diversity of life.
Vitalik Buterin shares a profound personal experience that narrates how two major events deeply influenced his perspectives and actions. The first event he recalls is watching the beginning of the Mariupol conflict from a hotel room in Denver on February 23, 2022. It was an experience filled with anxiety and fear, shared remotely with his father. This incident prompted him to publicly state his position on the issue and collaborate with the crypto community to verify the legitimacy of Ukraine government’s request for crypto donations to address concerns of fraud.
The second event involves witnessing the aftermath of the SBF and FTX incident, which shook the crypto world and made Vitalik realize the transience of leaders and mentors in this field. This realization prompted him to reflect on his own identity and the roles he assumed or was assigned within the crypto community and beyond.
Vitalik delves into his personal journey, highlighting his transition from an outstanding student to a significant figure in the crypto field. This path was not driven by a desire for courage or creativity but by circumstances and opportunities. He recounts his decision to drop out of school and fully immerse himself in the crypto world, a decision influenced by social recognition and external encouragement rather than a deliberate, conscious choice.
For Vitalik, a significant turning point came from his interactions, including the meeting with Putin, which made him realize that he inadvertently provided legitimacy to individuals he later questioned and reconsidered his passive involvement in the crypto field. This introspection led him to commit to making more conscious and proactive decisions, carefully choosing which projects and interactions to engage in, aiming to prevent the field from being dominated by opportunistic interests.
Vitalik’s story emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility and conscious action when dealing with global events and the complexity of the crypto ecosystem, highlighting his evolution from a reactive participant to a more proactive and discerning individual.
Vitalik Buterin shifts to another topic, discussing the evolving challenges and opportunities within the crypto field, likening them to intellectual stimulation in solving mathematical puzzles rather than physical pain. He reflects on the changing role of economics, the importance of social coordination, and the increasing complexity of interactions between large social entities such as governments and corporations. Vitalik observes that while the original intention of Bitcoin and the crypto movement was to challenge and potentially replace traditional financial institutions and fiat currencies, public discourse has shifted away from these topics.
He acknowledges a decreased focus on finance and banking in broader societal concerns. Vitalik presents two responses for the crypto ecosystem: firstly, reaffirming the relevance of finance, particularly in serving underserved populations, and secondly, expanding the scope of crypto technology beyond finance to establish a more comprehensive, decentralized, and democratic technological infrastructure.
Vitalik highlights the unique position of the crypto industry with its global decentralized nature and the potential for non-Western developers to address specific needs in low-income countries. He criticizes the Silicon Valley-centric view of technology and advocates for a widespread recognition of global challenges related to financial inclusivity.
Additionally, he outlines a vision for a comprehensive decentralized technology stack that operates independently from the centralized models of Silicon Valley, covering various aspects from banking to governance. This vision includes using blockchain-based solutions as alternatives to traditional financial systems, creating decentralized alternatives for online identity verification, communication, and content distribution, and enhancing democratic governance through technology to make decision-making more inclusive and representative.
Vitalik concludes by emphasizing the potential of zero-knowledge proofs in balancing privacy concerns with the need for trust and authenticity, suggesting that the crypto field can be a better technology beyond financial applications, addressing the needs and concerns of the 21st century with a broader narrative. This approach not only reaffirms the importance of finance but also positions crypto as a foundational element in a digital infrastructure that is more democratic, decentralized, and respectful of privacy.
Vitalik Buterin explores the complexity of motivations within the crypto field, challenges the notion that financial incentives are the only driving force, and highlights how crypto can be seen as an intellectual stimulation akin to solving mathematical puzzles rather than physical pain.The Perspective of Being the Sole Driving Force. He pointed out that actions within the crypto community often seem to contradict pure financial motives, such as emphasizing decentralization and promoting the effectiveness of mining or coin pool diversification despite obvious financial disadvantages.
Vitalik proposed a conceptual framework to better understand this ecosystem and identified four major groups: token holders and DeFi users, intellectuals, builders, and pragmatic users. He emphasized the symbiotic relationship between these groups, with each contributing necessary elements for the success of the ecosystem. Token holders and DeFi users provide crucial funding, intellectuals provide innovative ideas, builders translate these ideas into practical applications, and pragmatic users are the ultimate beneficiaries of these developments.
However, Vitalik also acknowledged that each group can exhibit “failure” behaviors that harm the health of the ecosystem, such as adopting extractive applications, excessive focus on theoretical intellectuals, or users who prefer centralized solutions for convenience. He reflected on the historical tendency of these groups to overlook each other’s contributions and emphasized the importance of improving mutual understanding and cooperation. By recognizing their interdependence, limiting excessive behavior, and acknowledging common goals, Vitalik believes these groups can foster a more cohesive and effective crypto space.
This vision of the crypto community emphasizes the importance of balancing diverse motivations and the potential for collective progress through collaboration and respect for different perspectives. Vitalik calls for a “peaceful form” of interaction within the crypto field and with neighboring communities, implying that closer alignment of values and goals is both possible and desirable.
Vitalik Buterin reflects on the global nature of the crypto community and its interactions with different cultures and subcultures, highlighting how this has provided him with unique insights and experiences. His travels have exposed him to flourishing crypto scenes in various regions, each with its own unique contributions and challenges.
In 2014, during his visit to China, he witnessed a thriving ecosystem rapidly expanding its business, showcasing the country’s early enthusiasm for crypto technology. Europe, particularly Berlin, played a key role in the development of Ethereum, nurturing a culture of open-source innovation and exploring non-financial applications of blockchain technology. The San Francisco Bay Area in the United States has also played a crucial role in the early adoption and ideological shaping of the crypto field through the fusion of rationalism, effective altruism, and transhumanism.
Vitalik noted significant changes over time, such as the regulatory crackdown in China leading to a shift towards Singapore, internal divisions within the Silicon Valley tech community, and the evolution of geographic diversity among Ethereum contributors. He highlighted the self-organizing capability of Taiwan and its enthusiasm for embracing new ideas, such as digital democracy, as well as Argentina’s practical and idealistic approach to solving current financial challenges through crypto adoption.
He emphasized the importance of local contexts in shaping the adoption and development of crypto technology, from the philosophical inclinations of Silicon Valley to the economic pressures driving adoption in Argentina. Vitalik’s encounters demonstrate a range of responses sparked by the crypto movement, from theoretical exploration to practical applications, reflecting the diverse needs and aspirations of the global community.
Vitalik argues that this diversity enriches the crypto ecosystem, promoting the creation and nurturing of new cultures and subcultures. His experiences demonstrate the potential of the internet nation movement to actively cultivate and expand these communities, emphasizing the dynamic interaction between technology, culture, and communities in the global crypto landscape.
Vitalik Buterin shares personal lessons he has learned during his journey, touching on self-awareness, ethics, and personal development:
1. Transcending selfish greed: Vitalik challenges the view that greed for money and power is the root of evil, recognizing that selfishness can manifest in various forms, including cowardice, laziness, and resentment. He reflects on his own growth process, which emphasizes avoiding greed for money and power as a measure of goodness but later realizes that other forms of greed, such as a desire for social status, are equally harmful.
2. Authentic preferences: He opposes the necessity of scientific justifications for personal preferences and criticizes the utilitarian view that may force individuals to rationalize their choices for the greater prosperity of humanity as a whole. This realization emphasizes the importance of accepting personal preferences and recognizing that incompatibility does not necessarily make someone a bad person.
3. The importance of habits: Vitalik emphasizes the importance of sustainable habits over ambitious but unattainable goals. He shares his methods of maintaining achievable personal goals, such as regular running, despite the limitations of his digital nomad lifestyle. The effectiveness of gamification strategies used by Duolingo illustrates the value of consistency and the challenges of making positive decisions that lead to long-term behavioral changes.
4. Limitations of learning from others: Finally, Vitalik acknowledges the limitations of learning solely from others’ experiences, especially in a rapidly changing world where lessons quickly become outdated. He emphasizes the irreplaceable value of personal experiences in navigating the complexity of life.
These reflections offer insights into Vitalik’s philosophical growth and his approach to facing life’s challenges, highlighting the importance of a nuanced understanding of ethics, accepting personal and others’ limitations, and practical strategies for personal development in a constantly evolving environment.
Vitalik Buterin reflects on the transient nature of social constructs such as communities, ideologies, scenes, nations, companies, families, and relationships, emphasizing that these are all created by people. He acknowledges that while some structures may appear eternal, their existence and continuity depend on human effort and storytelling. Vitalik points out that everything in the social world is finite, not only in its physical or structural existence but also in how individuals perceive and experience them. As these entities inevitably fade away with time, people bear the responsibility to innovate and create new entities to replace them.
For Vitalik, 2023 is a period of witnessing the disappearance of many things, both significant and insignificant, highlighting the rapid changes in the world, shifts in frameworks used to understand these changes, and his evolving role within this dynamic. He confronts the concept of death, not only in its literal sense but as a metaphor for the termination of various social structures, acknowledging it as an inevitable aspect of existence. However, he also sees opportunities for birth and rebirth, emphasizing the importance of continuing to act and create in building new communities, ideologies, and structures.
Vitalik’s reflections summarize a broader philosophical acceptance of change and the cyclical nature of life and death within social structures. It serves as a call to action, encouraging individuals to actively participate in shaping the future, recognizing their role in the sustainable cycle of creating, maintaining, and renewing the social world.
Vitalik Buterin