Vitalik Buterin Links Terra Luna Design Choices To Ethics In Crypto Communities

TLDR

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Vitalik Buterin said Terra Luna was not built on Ethereum by design.
He warned against unconditional support for leaders and crypto projects.
Terra Luna’s 2022 collapse erased over $40 billion in market value.
Buterin urged communities to support ethical and transparent projects.

Vitalik Buterin has again drawn attention to ethics in crypto. He explained why Terra Luna avoided Ethereum and warned against unchecked support. His comments revisit the Terra collapse while stressing community responsibility and ethical standards across blockchain ecosystems.

Buterin Restates Community Responsibility in Crypto

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently addressed ethics within blockchain communities. He referred to Terra Luna while explaining how values shape ecosystem behavior. His comments were linked to past interviews and public statements.

Buterin said Terra Luna avoiding Ethereum was intentional and not accidental. He stated that community standards affect which projects gain support. He also noted that open systems still rely on collective responsibility.

Vitalik: It was no coincidence that Luna was not built on Ethereum
On November 20, 2022, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin said in an interview that crypto communities should refuse to foster environments that enable harmful behavior. He criticized the Bitcoin community for… pic.twitter.com/pYIaqYhdnE
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) January 24, 2026

In a November 2022 interview, Buterin warned against blind loyalty in crypto. He said some communities support leaders without asking hard questions. He argued that such behavior weakens accountability.

According to Buterin, communities should reject harmful actions. He added that active opposition matters as much as technical design. These views continue to circulate among developers and investors.

Criticism of Unconditional Support in Bitcoin Circles

Buterin also criticized parts of the Bitcoin community. He said support often comes without clear conditions or debate. He cited El Salvador’s Bitcoin adoption as an example. President Nayib Bukele promoted Bitcoin through state policy. Some observers viewed the move as forced rather than organic. Buterin said such approaches deserve scrutiny.

He stated, “Blind support can be very dangerous.” This warning referred to leaders and projects alike. He stressed the need for constant evaluation. Buterin did not oppose Bitcoin itself. His remarks focused on community behavior and governance. He urged users to question authority and influence.

Why Terra Luna Avoided Ethereum

Buterin explained that Terra’s developers chose another ecosystem deliberately. He suggested Ethereum communities resist risky or harmful designs. This resistance affects project selection. He said Ethereum culture values caution and debate. Projects face scrutiny before gaining acceptance. This environment may discourage speculative designs.

Other ecosystems may allow hype-driven projects. Buterin said tolerance levels differ across blockchains. These differences affect long-term outcomes. His comments linked culture with technical success. He noted that code alone does not protect users. Community standards play a major role.

Terra Luna Collapse and Ongoing Lessons

Terra Luna collapsed in May 2022 after UST lost its dollar peg. The failure erased more than $40 billion in value. Many investors faced heavy losses. The event renewed debate around algorithmic stablecoins. Regulators and developers reviewed design risks afterward. The collapse remains one of crypto’s largest failures.

Buterin’s warnings gained renewed attention after the crash. He had earlier raised concerns about sustainability. The outcome reinforced those concerns. He later urged users to support ethical projects. He said transparency and oversight reduce risk. These lessons continue to shape discussions in crypto circles.