Виталик Бутерин: DeFi — новая эра безопасных сбережений и сопротивления централизации Translation: Vitalik Buterin: DeFi — a new era of secure savings and resistance to centralization

The DeFi sector has reached a level of maturity and security sufficient to be utilized as a «primary banking account,» according to Vitalik Buterin at the Dromos Labs event, reported by The Block.

He noted that decentralized finance is becoming a «viable form of savings.» The developer highlighted a shift from high-risk speculation to more conservative financial tools.

Buterin believes that DeFi will serve as a solution for users looking to protect themselves from the risks associated with fiat systems, «where your money can be taken away» due to political changes.

He acknowledged the history of hacks and smart contract risks that have plagued the industry, including the recent attack on Balancer. However, Buterin emphasized that security in the sector has significantly improved.

«The level of protection expected in 2025 is like night and day compared to what it was in 2019 or 2020,» he said.

One element of this system that he pointed out is the so-called walkaway test, which ensures that users can always retrieve their funds.

The Ethereum founder also urged developers to adhere to key principles: open-source coding, compliance with free standards, and resistance to censorship.

Buterin advised building applications using L1 as a liquidity center and L2 for scaling. He added that the latter is being enhanced at both levels due to increased gas limits. As an example, Buterin mentioned the launch of products like Lighter, which has already achieved a throughput of over 10,000 transactions per second.

«With the right approach, such a level of scaling is accessible to any developer today,» Buterin concluded.

Buterin and the Ethereum Foundation (EF) have published a «Manifesto of Trust.»

In the document, they expressed concern regarding the growing centralization of the industry and urged developers to uphold the principle of «trustlessness,» which they identified as a foundation rather than an added feature. They believe that without this principle, scalability and usability become mere decorative add-ons on a fragile foundation.

«Any system begins with good intentions. Over time, gateways become platforms. Platforms become landlords. And landlords decide who can enter and what to do,» the manifesto states.

The only safeguard against this, according to the authors, is «trustless design,» where fairness relies solely on mathematics and consensus, rather than the goodwill of intermediaries.

The document highlights the clear signs of a shift away from decentralization. The desire to simplify usage leads to compromises that gradually undermine the core of the industry.

The manifesto provides several illustrative examples:

«Decentralization erodes not due to a takeover, but for the sake of convenience. It automatically and constantly drifts towards dependence on trust,» the authors emphasized.

Buterin and the EF reminded that protocol creators are «guardians, not gatekeepers.» Their duty is to construct open and sovereign systems, «even when it’s difficult.»

The manifesto outlines three laws for trustless design:

«If simplicity comes at the cost of trust—it’s not simplicity. It’s capitulation,» they declared.

The document draws an analogy with email. In the past, anyone could run their own mail server. Theoretically, this is still possible today, but practically, spam filters and reputation systems make it nearly impossible for average users.

As a result, email has become «effectively centralized.» The authors of the manifesto warned against repeating this path for Ethereum’s access layer.

In conclusion, they urged measuring success not by the number of TPS but by «reducing trust per transaction.»

«Ultimately, the world doesn’t need more efficient intermediaries. It needs fewer reasons to trust them,» the EF summarized.

Notably, in September, Buterin stated that the proposed EU legislation «On Chat Control» threatens citizens’ rights to privacy in digital communications.