Vitalik Buterin published an article on the X platform today stating that DeFi is a crucial component of Ethereum's core value. He believes that financial empowerment is a key dimension for achieving autonomy and freedom in today's world, and while finance is far from Ethereum's only use, it is absolutely essential.
DeFi has opened up the best financial opportunities to the world.
Vitalik pointed out that DeFi has already opened up the world's best opportunities for saving, risk management and wealth creation in a permissionless manner, and the Ethereum Foundation needs to continue building on this foundation.
He recalled that the greatness of Ethereum's early DeFi era lay in "daring to dream, innovating, and creating entirely new paradigms." Looking ahead, Vitalik called on the DeFi industry to rediscover this spirit:
Don't just think about "making a better stablecoin"; delve deeper into the underlying issues and propose better solutions.
Ethereum Foundation sets red lines for DeFi support
Vitalik emphasized that the Ethereum Foundation's support for "on-chain finance" and even "DeFi" is not indiscriminate. He outlined a clear framework for the Foundation's DeFi vision: a permissionless, open-source, privacy-first, and security-first global financial system —maximizing users' control over their own assets, minimizing centralized bottlenecks and trusted third parties, and democratizing risk management and wealth accumulation.
In addition, Vitalik proposed the concept of a " walkaway test ": the foundation hopes the protocol will pass this test—that the system can continue to function even if the founding team suddenly disappears. He pointed out that a lot of work is still needed to realize this vision.
It is worth noting that the Ethereum Foundation recently established the "DeFipunk" team, dedicated to promoting the development of a DeFi ecosystem that aligns with the aforementioned principles, demonstrating that the foundation is putting Vitalik's vision into action.
