Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has urged developers to prioritize projects with a social impact over solely technical advancements. Buterin believes that decentralized application (dApp) development is crucial for driving positive societal change alongside the network’s technological evolution. In a recent podcast, he specifically highlighted Railgun and Polymarket as examples of Ethereum-based applications aligning with the network’s vision for social good, while criticizing projects like Pumpdotfun for their lack of alignment. Buterin distinguishes between the network’s foundational technology (Layer 1) and the dApps built upon it, emphasizing that developers bear significant responsibility for shaping Ethereum’s impact on society, suggesting they hold an estimated 80% influence compared to about 50% for the base layer itself. This call to action comes at a time when Ethereum faces competition from other blockchains like Solana and Avalanche, prompting Buterin’s emphasis on social relevance as a critical factor in the network’s future direction. This shift is particularly significant given a recent dip in user activity and engagement, raising questions about whether prioritizing social impact will truly lead the network to regain its prior momentum.