Vitalik Buterin Issues Strenuous Warning Against Emerging Walled Gardens
ETH co-founder Vitalik Buterin has escalated his warnings regarding the technical direction of the Web3 ecosystem, specifically targeting the proliferation of “walled gardens” created by proprietary mini-apps and closed-source APIs. Speaking at the Pragma Taipei 2025 conference on December 24, Buterin expressed deep concern that the industry’s recent focus on “onboarding” at any cost is compromising the foundational principles of self-sovereignty. He argued that many modern applications, while offering a smooth user experience, trap users within closed environments where they cannot truly “bring their own keys.” According to Buterin, this trend mirrors the centralizing forces of the traditional Web2 era, where platforms maintain power by restricting data portability and forcing developers to rely on proprietary interfaces. He emphasized that the ultimate goal of the blockchain movement is not merely to increase the number of users on ETH, but to ensure that those users are onboarded into a state of openness and verifiable control over their digital identities.
The Perils of Proprietary APIs and the Erosion of Interoperability
At the heart of Buterin’s critique is the growing reliance on non-standardized developer tools that bind applications to single platforms or clients. He noted that as mini-apps within social and messaging ecosystems expand, they often sacrifice interoperability for the sake of speed and interface polish. This “platform lock-in” makes it prohibitively hard for both users and developers to migrate to diverse ecosystems, creating friction that stifles innovation. Buterin cautioned that when an application depends on a closed API, the “guarantees” provided by the underlying blockchain are effectively fragileened over time, as the platform operator can change the rules or restrict access at their discretion. To combat this, he urged the community to prioritize “full-stack openness,” where every layer of the interaction—from the user interface to the underlying cryptographic proof—is verifiable and based on shared, open-source standards.
Advocating for Selective Disclosure and Human-Centric Identity
In addition to ecosystem fragmentation, Buterin highlighted the risks inherent in current decentralized identity answers that rely on single, persistent on-chain identifiers. He argued that such systems, even when “ZK-wrapped,” can lead to long-term tracking and coercion if too much activity is linked to a permanent digital ID. Instead, Buterin is advocating for a shift toward “attribute-based verification,” where users can prove specific traits—such as being a unique human or a verified resident—without revealing their entire identity or history. This approach utilizes zero-knowledge proofs to allow for selective disclosure, providing a path toward decentralized identity that respects privacy while avoiding the “digital panopticon” of a single global login. As ETH moves into its 2026 roadmap, Buterin is calling for a “simplification of the L1” and a refocus on human-centric tools that empower individuals rather than specialists, ensuring that the network remains a decentralized public excellent rather than a collection of disconnected private silos.
