Ethereum’s 'Trustless Manifesto' and the return to first principles
The Trustless Manifesto, recently released by Vitalik Buterin and co-authors, urges Ethereum developers to recommit to the network’s foundational principles of trustlessness, emphasizing that systems should be based on math and consensus rather than people. This document, which coincides with the first anniversary of the Lean Ethereum proposal, warns that as Ethereum scales, there is a rising risk of dependence on a few trusted intermediaries for critical functions, which could threaten its decentralized nature. The manifesto presents three laws of trustless design and critiques how protocols like email transitioned from decentralized to centralized systems due to lost trustlessness. A live smart contract allows supporters to sign the manifesto, signaling their commitment to decentralization. Alongside Lean Ethereum, which envisions a minimal and robust network architecture, the Ethereum Interop Layer is introduced to enhance scalability without additional trust assumptions. In light of these developments, the upcoming DevConnect in Buenos Aires serves as a reminder that Ethereum's challenges extend beyond technicalities to cultural conversations about trust in the future.
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