Vitalik Buterin Slams “Corposlop” as Crypto Social Turns Toxic

Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin has officially declared war on what he calls “Corposlop”—the soul-sucking convergence of corporate optimization, glossy branding, and predatory engagement algorithms. He’s calling out the flaws in many crypto social projects, which he describes as “corposlop”—a messy mix of hype, speculation, and poor design.

In a detailed post, he argued that if society wants better outcomes, there will be a need for mass communication tools that prioritize quality information and long-term user benefit over short-term clicks and engagement. “We need mass communication tools that surface the best information and arguments and help people find points of agreement,” he wrote.

In 2026, I plan to be fully back to decentralized social.

If we want a better society, we need better mass communication tools. We need mass communication tools that surface the best information and arguments and help people find points of agreement. We need mass communication… https://t.co/ye249HsojJ

— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) January 21, 2026

Since the start of the year, Buterin has already been experimenting with decentralized social through Firefly, a multi-client platform that lets users read and post across X, Lens, Farcaster, and Bluesky.

He believes decentralization is the key because it allows multiple clients to exist on the same network. This creates real competition and gives users more choice, instead of leaving the conversation controlled by a single platform’s algorithm.

Crypto social projects have often gone in the wrong direction. “We in crypto think that if you insert a speculative coin into something, that counts as ‘innovating,’” he wrote.

He clarifies that mixing money and social isn’t inherently bad. He also shared an example of how Substack shows it’s possible to support creators financially while still focusing on quality content. The difference is that Substack rewards creators through subscriptions, not by creating short-lived price bubbles.

Over the past decade, many crypto projects tried to reward creators with tokens, but most failed. These systems often rewarded popularity, not actual content quality, and the tokens themselves usually lost all value after a year or two. In Vitalik’s words, this isn’t innovation—it’s just “corposlop,” a messy mix of hype and failed economics.

A healthier online future

For decentralized social to succeed, Buterin says it must be led by people who care about the social experience first, not just profit. He praised the Aave team for their work with Lens and expressed optimism about the new team taking over, who have experience in encrypted social communication.

He shared plans to post more on Lens this year and encouraged others to explore decentralized platforms like Lens, Farcaster, and Firefly. His vision is clear: move beyond “a single global info warzone” into a space where new, healthier forms of interaction can flourish, and online conversations can finally prioritize value over virality.

Vitalik Buterin’s re-entry into decentralized social is more about rethinking how we use social. What he wants is a social that is all about quality, variety, and fair competition, with discussions favoring good ideas, not engagement or hype. But if this vision is realized, then society might just become more meaningful and friendly.

Also Read: Vitalik Buterin on Why the ‘Token-Voting’ Era of DAOs Must Die

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