Vitalik Buterin Envisions Ethereum as Decentralized Infrastructure Like BitTorrent

Vitalik Buterin emphasized that Ethereum should be viewed as shared infrastructure rather than a speculative asset. He drew parallels between Ethereum, BitTorrent, and Linux to highlight its decentralized nature.

BitTorrent Comparison: Ethereum aims to scale like BitTorrent by distributing consensus across users without relying on central coordination.
Linux Analogy: Ethereum, like Linux, is open-source and supports both large-scale systems and user-controlled applications.
Network Goals: The core goal is to achieve autonomy without intermediaries, ensuring trust and mass usability while maintaining decentralization.
World Computer Vision: Buterin advised against short-term trends, advocating for Ethereum as a neutral world computer supporting diverse applications.
Decentralization Standard: Emphasized the “walkaway test” where applications should function independently of their creators, minimizing centralized dependencies.

Buterin's vision for Ethereum includes providing reliable financial, identity, governance, and social infrastructure without the need for permission or central control.