In a recent discussion, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin emphasized that the ethics and values of developers have a significant impact on the direction and impact of crypto projects. He praised certain decentralized applications like Railgun, Farcaster, Polymarket, and Signal for aligning with Ethereum's vision. Conversely, Buterin criticized projects such as Pump.fun, Terra/Luna, and the collapsed FTX exchange as examples of what should not be built in the crypto space due to their perceived negative impact.

He highlighted Railgun as a positive example, commending its Privacy Pools that offer enhanced privacy features. Moreover, he spoke positively about other projects like Farcaster and Polymarket, envisioning broader applications beyond their current scope. Buterin discouraged projects that prioritize hype over substance, like Terra/Luna and FTX, emphasizing the importance of building with ethical intent and long-term utility in mind, particularly in the DeFi sector.

Buterin compared Ethereum's development path to C++, noting that Ethereum is partially general-purpose but heavily relies on developers' alignment with Ethereum's mission for its core innovations. He stressed that Ethereum apps are predominantly special-purpose, with developers' ethics and objectives playing a significant role in shaping the network's future.