Vitalik Buterin has no Multi-Year Plan for Ethereum and That’s OK

In the world of cryptocurrency, having a long-term vision is of the utmost importance. Where Vitalik Buterin is concerned, that vision is not necessarily present. In a recent interview, it became clear the “face of Ethereum” has no plans for this project other than a few months ahead at a time. So far, this hasn’t hindered the project’s chance of success.

Vitalik Buterin Isn’t a Big Planner

One can easily argue there is no need for a multi-year plan in cryptocurrency. As this industry is still evolving out of its infancy, things tend to change quite a bit. Setting hard deadlines often does not work and only causes more stress. Even so, having a general idea of where to take Ethereum in the next five to ten years should be a minimum requirement. Vitalik Buterin doesn’t have that vision, as he explains:

“Ethereum got big. It just so happened that Ethereum evolved without, I guess, other figures quite as large as myself.I have no idea where I’d like to be years from now. I generally don’t plan more than three months ahead, let alone five years.”

Despite this absence of a long-term vision, Ethereum seems to be maturing on its own. Vitalik Buterin is not the only person working on the code. A growing team of developers is polishing code, adding new features, and making suggestions. None of those individuals are in the spotlight as much as Buterin, though. As such, anything he says and does will be scrutinized, which is only to be expected.

Not in it for the Money

Most people would assume Buterin is another developer doing it for the money. Those who know him a bit better know that is the exact opposite of his persona. He couldn’t care less about those who made millions off the back of other people’s coding work. Ethereum has never been a career plan for Buterin, but that is not a bad thing per se. When talking about those who struck it rich with cryptocurrency, he jokingly adds:

“It’s the luck of the draw, where everyone who won the draw seems to feel like they deserved it for being smarter. I was loyal and I was virtuous and I held through and therefore I deserve to have my five mansions and 23 lambos!”

While some people may criticize this lack of long-term vision, it seems to be nothing to be concerned about. Together with the other enthusiasts, Vitalik Buterin will continue to focus on this project for quite some time to come. Ethereum is close to entering its next stage of evolution. A switch to proof-of-stake is imminent. There may even be a hard supply cap in the future, albeit that is not officially confirmed.