Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin announced on May 27 via his Farcaster account vitalik.eth that he is pausing his signature long-form blog posts, and will instead write a sci-fi novel centered on decentralized governance. He has finished the first and second chapters, and has published the two chapters on his personal website.
Buterin’s Announcement Details: Farcaster Post and Released Chapters
Buterin’s Farcaster post is a brief notice, pointing followers to the draft he is working on, and includes a link to the chapters that have already been published. The full contents of Chapters 1 and 2 are now live on Buterin’s personal website. In the post, he describes this as an “experiment,” rather than an official replacement of existing research directions.
DAO Governance Topics Covered by the Prior Blog Posts
Over the years, Buterin’s long-form blog posts have focused on the coordination challenges of DAOs, the design of voting mechanisms, and public treasury funding issues. He previously specifically argued that Quadratic Voting and Plural Mechanisms help reduce the impact of token holder concentration on decision-making. In addition, he has publicly hinted that he would gradually step back from the influence of the Ethereum Foundation, saying the Ethereum Foundation is a node within a broader ecosystem rather than the only core.
FAQ
What is the specific content of Vitalik’s sci-fi novel?
Based on Buterin’s Farcaster announcement and a BeInCrypto report, the novel centers on decentralized governance topics, with Chapters 1 and 2 already published on Buterin’s personal website. The specific plot, character setup, and complete narrative framework are not detailed in the announcement.
Why did Buterin choose Farcaster rather than X or other platforms to post the announcement?
Buterin has previously expressed approval for decentralized social platforms such as Farcaster multiple times, believing their architecture aligns better with decentralized principles. Using Farcaster as the announcement channel is consistent with his longstanding stance of promoting decentralized infrastructure.
Were there any specific details in Buterin’s earlier statements about the influence of the Ethereum Foundation?
Buterin previously publicly implied that he would gradually step back from the Ethereum Foundation’s influence, and said the Ethereum Foundation is one of the nodes in the broader ecosystem. He did not provide an official formal statement regarding specific exit timelines or mechanisms; the relevant remarks appeared in informal comments.
