The founder of Cardano (ADA), Charles Hoskinson, harshly criticizes the governance of Ethereum and the dominant role of Vitalik Buterin. In recent years, the rivalry between the blockchain networks of Cardano and Ethereum has been at the center of attention in the world of cryptocurrencies. The two projects, although similar in terms of objectives, differ significantly regarding their philosophy and governance structure.
Recently, Charles Hoskinson, founder of Cardano (ADA), expressed harsh criticism towards Ethereum, calling it a “dictatorship” and questioning the concentration of power in the hands of Vitalik Buterin.
The words of the founder of Cardano Charles Hoskinson: Ethereum is a “dictatorship”
In a recent interview, Charles Hoskinson raised strong concerns about the governance structure of Ethereum. Hoskinson stated that the Ethereum network is not truly decentralized as claimed, accusing Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, of having excessive influence over the project’s key decisions.
According to Hoskinson, this would confer upon Buterin an almost dictatorial power, thus limiting the true decentralization that a blockchain network should promote.
His words did not go unnoticed, especially because Hoskinson was one of the first developers of Ethereum, before leaving the project and founding Cardano in 2017. This past with Ethereum adds an interesting context to his criticism, as he deeply knows the internal mechanisms of the network.
According to Hoskinson, one of the main problems of Ethereum is its centralized governance structure, which disproportionately relies on the decisions of a small group of individuals. In particular, he emphasized that Vitalik Buterin has too much influence on the direction of development and strategic decisions.
This, according to him, makes Ethereum vulnerable to the interests of a few, rather than reflecting the needs and desires of the community.
The differences between Cardano and Ethereum: the vision of Charles Hoskinson
Cardano and Ethereum are both blockchain projects with the goal of creating a decentralized network for the execution of smart contracts, but their development and governance philosophies are very different.
Ethereum was one of the first projects to introduce smart contracts, and its network has gained enormous popularity, especially thanks to the ecosystem of decentralized applications (dApp) it has built.
However, as Hoskinson pointed out, the governance of Ethereum is still largely influenced by its founders and some large organizations, which could limit its evolution in the long term.
On the other hand, Cardano was designed from the beginning to be a third-generation platform, with an emphasis on decentralized governance and rigorous academic research.
The blockchain of Cardano is based on a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus model, which according to Hoskinson is more efficient and democratic compared to the proof-of-work (PoW) originally used by Ethereum.
With the transition of Ethereum to Ethereum 2.0, which involves the shift from PoW to PoS, the differences between the two projects could diminish from a technical standpoint.
However, Hoskinson’s vision for Cardano remains deeply rooted in truly decentralized governance, where every actor in the network has a say in the future decisions of the protocol. This contrast with Ethereum is at the core of his recent criticisms.
The power of Vitalik Buterin
One of Hoskinson’s main criticisms is the perception that Vitalik Buterin wields too much power within the Ethereum community.
Even though Ethereum has a vast community of developers and supporters, Hoskinson has expressed the fear that key decisions are often influenced by the vision of Buterin and his closest collaborators.
In the context of decentralization, this criticism is significant. True decentralization, according to Hoskinson, should eliminate or significantly reduce the power of individual individuals and distribute authority among network participants.
This is the fundamental principle on which Cardano’s vision is based. Hoskinson developed Cardano with the intent of avoiding exactly this type of decision-making centralization, favoring instead a community-based governance system and based on formal consensus mechanisms.
Conclusion
The criticisms of Charles Hoskinson towards Ethereum reflect a deep philosophical difference between the two projects.
While Ethereum has tried to evolve over time, facing technical and governance challenges, Cardano has been built from the beginning with a strong focus on decentralization and community governance. The rivalry between these two projects is not only technological but also ideological.
The vision of Hoskinson for Cardano represents a pure model of decentralization, which contrasts with that of Ethereum, perceived by him as too centralized. With the continuous growth of both projects, it will be interesting to see how their governance philosophies will influence the future of the blockchain sector.
Ultimately, Hoskinson’s critique raises important questions about the nature of decentralization in blockchains, and how the leaders of major projects should balance power with the principles of an open and participatory community.
With Cardano and Ethereum competing to dominate the smart contract space, this ideological dispute will surely have a profound impact on the future of the sector.
Source: https://en.cryptonomist.ch/2024/09/26/charles-hoskinson-di-cardano-critica-ethereum-definendola-una-dittatura-4/