While traditional social networks are often criticized for prioritizing engagement at the expense of quality, Vitalik Buterin advocates for decentralized mass communication tools. He envisions platforms where relevant content takes precedence over algorithms and where discussions genuinely foster public debate. How can we rethink our interactions and information exchange in the age of hyperconnectivity?
Building tomorrow’s society on better mass communication tools
Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, wants to reconnect with his roots and fully commit to decentralized social networks in the new year.
As a reminder, a decentralized social network relies in part on blockchain infrastructure, where user identities and social graphs do not depend on a single all-powerful entity.
In a post published on X, Vitalik Buterin announced his intention to devote more of his time to decentralized social networks. He explains that to build a better society, “we need better mass communication tools.”
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
These “mass communication tools” help highlight the highest-quality information and ensure the discussions essential to public debate.
He then explains his desire to develop not tools that maximize engagement, but means of communication that serve users’ interests. This approach aims to prioritize the long term over short-term gains.
There is no silver bullet to address this need, he notes, but the root of the problem seems to lie in competition. According to Vitalik Buterin, decentralization is the only way to achieve this. Similar to Nostr, a shared data layer on which anyone can build their own client or choose the one that best suits their needs.
He also notes that since the beginning of the year, every post made or read has been done so using Firefly, which supports reading and posting on the X, Lens, Farcaster, and Bluesky networks.
He then criticizes the crypto industry’s “social projects,” denouncing the idea that simply introducing a speculative currency into a project is enough to claim “innovation” and advance the world.
Envisioning new forms of interaction by following the example of Lens
Following the example of Substack’s work, Vitalik Buterin wants content to be rewarded for its intrinsic value rather than for the popularity of the individual producing it.
Thus, he hopes to see initiatives emerge that embody these values and are led by people who fundamentally believe in the social dimension of their project.
In saying this, he praises the work done by the Aave team on the Lens project and says he is eager to see what the new team—“composed of people genuinely interested in the social aspect”—has in store.
Indeed, earlier this week, Aave transferred management of the Lens protocol to Mask Network. The role of the Aave teams will now be limited to providing technical advice so that they can refocus on their core competencies in decentralized finance.
Over the years, we have built some of the most important on-chain financial primitives. We later expanded that ambition to social primitives that users truly own.
We built the Lens Protocol and its underlying on-chain infrastructure, including state-of-the-art decentralized data storage… https://t.co/g0zLIUlaBh
— Stani (@StaniKulechov) January 20, 2026
Vitalik Buterin concludes his pamphlet by denouncing the political nature of X, this veritable information war zone where manipulation and battles for influence rage.
