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Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has issued a pointed critique of “copypasta” or copy-paste blockchain projects, calling on developers to abandon repetitive, minimally differentiated designs and pursue true innovation within the Ethereum ecosystem. His remarks, shared in posts and commentary around February 5, 2026, target the surge in near-identical EVM-compatible layer-2 (L2) chains and standalone layer-1 (L1) networks.
Buterin highlighted how many new EVM chains default to familiar patterns: launching with optimistic bridges to Ethereum featuring week-long withdrawal delays, offering little beyond superficial tweaks. He likened this to the early DeFi era’s endless forking of protocols like Compound—once useful for experimentation but now a creative dead end that stifles progress. “We don’t friggin’ need more copypasta EVM chains, and we definitely don’t need even more L1s,” he declared bluntly. Chains lacking genuine ties to Ethereum (e.g., no meaningful bridge) fare even worse in his view.
He argued that Ethereum’s own scaling advances—higher gas limits, direct L1 improvements, and maturing ZK-EVM technology—already deliver substantial throughput and low costs, reducing the need for redundant scaling clones. The proliferation of such projects fragments liquidity, scatters developer attention, and saturates the space with low-impact platforms chasing short-term hype rather than addressing core challenges.
Buterin urged builders to focus on substantive advancements: privacy via zero-knowledge proofs, application-specific optimizations, ultra-low latency, improved user experience, sustainable economics, and deeper decentralization. He emphasized alignment—”vibes need to match substance”—meaning projects should transparently reflect their technical reality (e.g., true dependence on Ethereum for security vs. independent branding) instead of misleading marketing.
Amid fierce blockchain competition, where numerous L2s and alt-chains compete for users and talent, Buterin’s push demands higher standards: prioritize long-term research and real-world problem-solving over imitation and speed. Analysts see this as a timely warning against stagnation, potentially shaping Ethereum’s trajectory as the premier smart contract platform if builders respond by innovating authentically.
