Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is optimistic towards the use of pluralistic philosophy in a variety of socio-tech contexts. He explains that the merging of varied ideas could boost cooperation and decision-making within several sectors, including blockchain, social media, and local governance.
Plurality celebrates and promotes a healthy collaboration between a diverse array of sociocultural groups or systems, according to a 2022 essay titled “Why I Am A Pluralist” by Glen Weyl. Besides advocating for this concept, Buterin believes that its application to real-world situations could create significant improvements, including increased autonomy, enhanced collaboration, and reduced polarisation.
Buterin is particularly passionate about employing this principle within blockchain systems, a sentiment that aligns with the inherent decentralised nature of blockchain technology. He sees potential in using pluralistic mechanisms to resolve key issues plaguing blockchain communities, such as collusion and competitive pressures. For example, Ethereum already uses quadratic and retroactive funding methods to back public goods.
However, existing mechanisms are not foolproof and are vulnerable to collusion. Buterin posits that pluralistic mechanisms could mitigate these risks, fostering cooperation between different aspects of the ecosystem, such as layer-2 scaling platforms and crypto wallets, which would otherwise be motivated to act competitively.
Embracing this method aligns with Buterin’s wider vision of blockchain as a collaborative platform that is immune to centralisation pressures. The careful implementation of pluralistic methodologies could ensure that blockchain environments retain their decentralised ethos, while enhancing governance and resource allocation.
Buterin has also been proactive in tackling issues within blockchain and the DeFi world, often proposing practical solutions. His work includes extensively studying an effective way to prevent bribery attacks on smart contracts, advocating for faster transaction confirmation times, and successfully transitioning Ethereum to a proof-of-stake consensus algorithm, promoting a layer-2-centric strategy to scale the network’s base.