Vitalik Buterin: Low-Risk DeFi Could Become for Ethereum What Search Became for Google

He noted that Google's model is built on the combination of search and advertising, where these services generate the company's primary revenue, allowing for the development of spin-offs. Similarly, low-risk DeFi could provide Ethereum with the means to experiment with applications outside of the financial sector, whether social platforms or digital identity tools.

Buterin had previously been wary of this segment, seeing it as excessively speculative and posing risks to users. However, over time, the protocols have strengthened their security, and their primary value has shifted to enabling global access to reliable savings and payments in stable assets. Ethereum's founder emphasized that in some countries, the traditional financial system poses greater risks to citizens than mature DeFi solutions.

In his view, low-risk DeFi fits seamlessly with the community's ideology. This sector generates revenue through fees and the use of Ethereum as collateral, while providing millions of users with access to financial tools. Unlike Google's advertising model, which relies on collecting personal data, decentralized finance does not create incentives that could undermine the network's core structure.

Buterin also expressed confidence that more complex products could emerge from low-risk DeFi in the future. Among promising areas, he highlighted reputation-based lending and the development of alternatives to dollar-pegged stablecoins. Specifically, this concerns flatcoins and other forms of sustainable assets that could reduce the ecosystem's dependence on the US dollar.

As a reminder, in August of this year, Buterin proposed a number of initiatives aimed at protecting Ethereum's decentralization, which he believes is critical for the network's long-term future.