Vitalik Buterin Criticizes Blockchain 'Casinos,' Suggests Ethereum Won't Follow Solana's Approach To Meme Coins

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has voiced his disappointment with criticism that Ethereum ETH/USD is “bad and intolerant” for not embracing “blockchain casinos.”

What Happened: In response to a query on Tako, Buterin revealed that the criticism is that Ethereum “do not respect casinos” on the blockchain.

Buterin's comments are widely interpreted as a veiled criticism of other blockchains, particularly Solana SOL/USD, which has become known for its proliferation of meme coins, and also perhaps another dig to the SEC and how the ETH market looks in it’s eyes.

While Ethereum has prided itself on being a general-purpose platform, the surge of quickly-launched and often short-lived meme coins on Solana has raised concerns about the ethical implications and long-term sustainability of such projects.

“Perhaps the most disappointing thing for me recently was when someone said that Ethereum is bad and intolerant because we don't respect the ‘casinos’ on the blockchain enough, and other chains are happy to accept any application, so they are better,” he said.

“If the blockchain community has this kind of moral reversal, I have no interest in participating in the blockchain,” he added.

Also Read: Study Shows Reasons Why Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, Shiba Inu Plummet From Their All-Time Highs

Why It Matters: The trend of speculative, high-risk meme coins has been problematic in the past: Argentina President Javier Milei is facing calls for impeachment for promoting a controversial meme coin Libra LIBRA/USD that first pumped and then dumped in value, destroying millions of dollars in investors’ wealth.

Earlier in the week, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy launched a meme coin Jailstool JAILSTOOL/USD crashed around 82% on Monday evening European time to 2 cents, after making a high of 21 cents a day earlier.

Barely 48 hours before U.S. president Donald Trump‘s oath taking ceremony, he launched a meme coin Official Trump TRUMP/USD that soared to a $14.5 billion market cap just two days after launch, fueled by rapid exchange listings that provided exit liquidity for early buyers.

However, the token has since plunged 78% from its all-time high, leaving many late-stage investors deep in the red.

There are valid concerns that scammers thrive and there is an environment of incentive of misinformation and alignment with deception.

Buterin also hinted at a possible shift in the Ethereum Foundation’s approach, suggesting it may become less neutral at the application layer.

“This will require some changes, such as the foundation may not be too neutral at the application layer and need to specifically support some things, but this project is worth doing,” Buterin said.

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