On September 18, during the TOKEN2049 event roundtable discussion titled “The Next 3 Years in Crypto,” Ethereum 
$1,839 co-founder Vitalik Buterin expressed his belief that Ethereum will play a significant role in the cryptocurrency market through smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps) over the next three years.
Expected Contributions of Ethereum and Future Vision
Buterin highlighted that Ethereum’s flexibility and scalability position it as an ideal platform for developing new projects and innovative solutions. He emphasized that by supporting decentralized finance (DeFi), NFTs, and other blockchain technologies, Ethereum could contribute to creating a fairer financial system, increasing transparency, and reducing reliance on intermediaries.
Buterin also underscored the Ethereum community’s and developers’ ongoing efforts to optimize the network’s sustainability and security, stating that this will encourage greater participation from users and investors over time. He noted that Ethereum could play a crucial role in educating and promoting blockchain technology, helping people better understand and utilize these tools, thereby accelerating digital transformation.
The Undervalued Legacy of the ICO Era
Furthermore, Buterin remarked that the ICO era has not received adequate recognition, pointing out that during that time, new projects were consistently backed by communities from the US, China, Japan, and Europe. He emphasized that project owners aimed to connect interested individuals worldwide, maintaining a global ecosystem despite rising physical and economic barriers and internet walls, asserting that this situation provided significant value.
Buterin’s statements reinforce the critical importance of community building and global access for cryptocurrency projects during the ICO era. According to him, future cryptocurrency projects and innovations could reach broader audiences and create a larger impact on the cryptocurrency market by building on these fundamental principles.
