Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson compares the way Ethereum operates to a dictatorship under the control of its co-founder, Vitalik Buterin.
Hoskinson shared his thoughts on Ethereum at the Token2049 conference in Singapore.
He criticized the network’s heavy reliance on Buterin, who is now 30.
According to him, this dependence contradicts Ethereum’s claims of being a decentralized blockchain.
Cardano’s Founder Criticizes Ethereum
At the Token2049 conference, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson criticized Ethereum’s governance.
He claimed that the network can’t make any major moves without the influence of its co-founder, Vitalik Buterin.
Hoskinson, who co-founded Ethereum alongside Buterin, pointed out that, Ethereum’s reliance on Buterin undermines its claim to decentralization.
Even as it’s the second-largest cryptocurrency by marketcap.
Hoskinson argued that every significant decision on Ethereum—from upcoming forks to the blockchain’s future roadmap—rests on Buterin’s shoulders.
“Everyone looks to him for guidance and inspiration, and he’s the only one with enough authority to unite the community,” Hoskinson stated.
He further suggested that Ethereum’s next hard fork would struggle to move forward without Buterin’s leadership.
Interestingly, Hoskinson was one of Ethereum’s original eight founders.
However, his vision clashed with Buterin’s, leading to his departure from the project during a 2014 meeting in Switzerland.
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson also accused Vitalik Buterin of shifting Ethereum’s original roadmap by introducing sharding to the network.
He believes they are wrong to allow Etheruem to incorporate rollups and layer-2 solutions.
Hoskinson claimed this move effectively centralized Ethereum’s ecosystem, stifling the multichain future many had envisioned.
As a result, Ethereum became more scalable, hosting prominent layer-2 networks and zero-knowledge (zk) rollups like Arbitrum, Base, Polygon zk, and Optimism.
Hoskinson argued that Buterin was the driving force behind the adoption of layer-2s, gradually convincing Ethereum developers to embrace the concept.
He also criticized Ethereum’s approach, claiming it prioritized scaling through layer-2 sidechains at the cost of mainnet traction.
even though it reduced the network’s fee revenue.
Cardano Strikes a Balance Between Leadership and Decentralization
Hoskinson emphasized that the Cardano network has successfully avoided the centralized control seen in Ethereum and the chaos often associated with Bitcoin.
He pointed to Cardano’s new Voltaire era—a fully decentralized, community-driven governance model—as proof that centralized authority no longer has a place in the ecosystem.
The Voltaire era was launched on September 1 with the Chang hard fork.
This new model allows ADA holders to elect decentralized representatives (DReps) to manage the network’s decisions.
Hoskinson further explained that the Voltaire era has addressed the “governance trilemma,” striking a balance between efficiency, effectiveness, and integrity.
He believes the Chang upgrade has embedded these qualities into Cardano’s governance.
Hoskinson acknowledged his significant role in shaping Cardano’s governance up until now.
However, he emphasized that the blockchain is fully capable of thriving without his involvement.
Since the hard fork, he has often reiterated that his influence has lessened, marking Cardano’s shift toward full independence.