Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, commented on the origins of Visa during a public discussion on August 8, 2025, highlighting its connection to the concept of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAO).
Comparison of Visa and DAO
Vitalik Buterin emphasized that Visa's initial intentions reflected the ideals of DAO, which are now seen as centralized. He noted that Visa started with a chaordic organizational model, focusing on shared governance, and eventually evolved into a centralized entity over time.
Evolution of Visa
Buterin pointed out that many early community-driven projects can centralize over time due to the pursuit of efficiency or profit. His remarks are aimed at fostering discussions about the evolution of governance structures relevant to blockchain and DeFi.
Impact on the Future
Buterin's statements had no immediate market reaction; however, the conversation could influence future governance strategies in Web3. His critical analysis of decentralization and centralization is valuable for ongoing debates about organizational governance within the cryptocurrency community.
Vitalik Buterin's comments serve as a critical reflection on how organizations claiming decentralization might eventually lean toward centralization. His insights should be considered in future projects aimed at achieving true decentralization.