Vitalik Buterin

Vitalik Buterin’s Medium Review Guide: Everything You Need to Know + FAQ

Ever opened Vitalik’s Medium and wondered, “Is this the real thing, where do I start, and why is everything so technical?” You’re not alone.

I built this guide to save you time and make sure you get solid insights straight from Vitalik without falling into fake profiles, random reposts, or endless tab-hopping.

What trips most readers up

Even savvy crypto folks hit the same snags. Here are the common headaches I see—and why they matter:

• “Is this the real account?” Medium is packed with lookalike handles and repost bots. One wrong click and you’re reading old or misattributed content.


• “Where should I start?” Some posts are friendly explainers; others assume you understand rollup economics and zk jargon. Without a map, it’s easy to bounce.


• “Why the paywall prompts?” Medium occasionally nudges sign-ups or shows membership pop-ups, which can break flow even when the post itself is free.


• “How do I keep up without noise?” Following on one platform but missing updates on another is common, especially if you don’t use Medium every day.


• “Am I being misled?” Impostor accounts and clipped quotes are a real risk in crypto—security researchers have repeatedly warned that impersonation is a top tactic for spreading misinformation and scams.

Quick reality check: Not every “Vitalik on Medium” page is legit, and not every post is the best starting point for you.

What you’ll get from this guide

Here’s how I’ll make this easy (and worth your time):

• Authenticity, simplified: The exact link to the real page, plus quick signals to confirm it’s genuine—no guesswork.


• A personal reading path: Must-read posts categorized by your goal—beginner, investor/operator, or developer/researcher.


• Clear expectations: What “active” looks like for Vitalik on Medium and how it compares to his other channels.


• Smart follow tactics: Simple settings and workarounds so you see new posts without drowning in notifications or pop-ups.


• Trust and safety: A checklist to avoid fakes and quote responsibly so you don’t spread out-of-context snippets.

Who this guide is for

• Crypto-curious readers who want the big picture without getting lost in buzzwords.


• Investors and operators who care about staking, incentives, governance, and long-term network health.


• Developers and researchers looking for first-principles thinking on rollups, zk, data availability, MEV, and protocol design.


• Analysts, journalists, and students who need a reliable way to verify sources and cite correctly.

How I reviewed Vitalik’s Medium

I took a practical approach focused on accuracy, usefulness, and time saved:

• Verified the URL: Cross-checked @VitalikButerin on Medium against his known profiles and his main blog (vitalik.ca).


• Checked consistency: Compared topics, tone, and timing with posts referenced on his other public channels.


• Looked at posting patterns: Reviewed recency, engagement, and how often Medium mirrors or summarizes deeper work.


• Tested the reading flow: Read on desktop and mobile, used highlights, bookmarks, and comments to see what actually helps.


• Watched for friction: Noted membership prompts, sharing quirks, and how easy it is to save and revisit posts later.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between “too technical” and “too basic,” this will give you a clean path to the good stuff—without wasting an afternoon.

Curious where Medium fits in Vitalik’s broader writing and why it’s worth your attention in the first place? Let’s sort that out next.

Who Vitalik Buterin is and why his Medium matters

Quick bio and credibility

Vitalik Buterin co-authored the Ethereum whitepaper in 2013 and co-founded Ethereum in 2014. Since then, he’s become the rare creator who still spends most of his time thinking in public. He writes about protocol design, security trade-offs, and why blockchains should serve real people, not hype cycles.

• Builder + researcher: He pushed Ethereum from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake and keeps shaping its scaling roadmap.


• Evidence-led voice: After Ethereum’s Merge, the network’s energy use dropped by an estimated ~99.95% (source: Ethereum Foundation). He doesn’t just claim; he shows the data.


• Clear influence: When he publishes a long-form post, researchers, founders, and investors benchmark against it. It sets discussion, not just follows it.

“Decentralization is not a binary; it’s a spectrum.”
—Vitalik Buterin

That one line sums up why his writing matters: he’s constantly mapping the gray areas others skip.

Where Medium fits vs his main blog

Vitalik’s primary home for long-form essays is his personal site: vitalik.ca. That’s the source of truth. His Medium page at medium.com/@VitalikButerin typically mirrors or summarizes those posts so they’re easier to read, highlight, and share.

• Why I use it: Medium’s highlights, comments, and email-friendly layout make it a smoother read on mobile and a faster share with teammates.


• What to expect: The same ideas you’ll see on his blog—sometimes the full text, sometimes a cross-post—presented in a cleaner, social-friendly format.


• Good to know: If you want the original diagrams, footnotes, or references, the canonical link is usually on vitalik.ca. I treat Medium as a convenient front door to the deeper write-up.

What you’ll typically find here

Vitalik’s Medium is a rolling map of where Ethereum is heading and why. Expect ideas that get used in production months later.

• Scalability and rollups: Practical paths to scale without breaking security. A staple read is his “Incomplete Guide to Rollups”—the mental model many teams still use.


• Proof-of-stake economics: How staking incentives keep the network honest, and why “safety over yield” is a sane default. These posts help investors and validators set expectations.


• Zero-knowledge tech: Why ZK proofs aren’t a buzzword—they’re a toolkit for privacy, scalability, and UX. Expect clear explanations and where ZK genuinely fits.


• Governance and credible neutrality: Thoughts on how protocols make decisions without turning into politics clubs. His “Endgame” essay is a classic on future-proofing decentralization under real-world pressure.


• Public goods and funding: Quadratic funding and better ways to pay for shared infrastructure. His write-ups inspired experiments used by real communities and grants programs (see early framing around quadratic funding).


• Crypto’s social impact: Energy, financial access, and responsible design. He often stresses trade-offs so the tech actually helps people, not just early adopters.

If you’re technical, you’ll appreciate the rigor. If you’re newer, you’ll appreciate that he explains why choices are made, not just what’s next. And if you’re tracking the market, these posts act like an early signal of where builders will spend the next 6–18 months.

Ready to make sure you’re reading the right page—and not a slick impostor? Up next, I’ll show you the exact URL, the quick authenticity checks I use, and the fastest way to get around Medium’s quirks without missing a post.

The Medium page at a glance: URL, authenticity, and layout

The link and the “is this real?” check

Here’s the official link you want to load and bookmark: https://medium.com/@VitalikButerin

If you’ve ever worried about landing on a slick fake with “free ETH” nonsense, you’re not alone. Medium accounts are easy to spoof, and scammers use lookalike names to farm clicks. I use a quick, practical checklist before trusting anything:

• Handle + URL: It should be exactly @VitalikButerin in the URL bar. Extra letters, dashes, or numbers are red flags.


• Cross-check the content: Open vitalik.ca in another tab. Do recent Medium posts match titles or themes from his main blog? Real ones often mirror or summarize the same ideas.


• History, not hype: Authentic profiles show a multi-year post history and steady engagement (claps, thoughtful responses). Fakes tend to be new, with thin archives.


• Voice consistency: Vitalik’s writing is calm, analytical, and principle-first—no “send 1 ETH, get 2 ETH” claims, no token presales, no referral links.


• Community signals: Look at who follows, highlights, and responds. Real readers reference technical ideas (rollups, zk proofs, staking economics) instead of pumping coins.


• Link behavior: Real posts link to reputable sources (EF blog, research repos, standards discussions). Scam posts funnel to sketchy wallets and “claim” pages.

“Trust, but verify.” It takes ten seconds, and it can save you a very expensive mistake.

Pro tip: search engines help with verification. A quick “Vitalik Buterin Medium site:medium.com” search plus a scan of titles will reveal the authentic account’s long trail of essays. Fakes rarely have that footprint.

Posting frequency and recency

Set expectations right: Medium is not where he posts daily. It’s a secondary channel for long-form pieces that often originate on his main blog. That means:

• Sporadic cadence: You might see quiet gaps and then a new essay that lands when there’s a big idea to share.


• “Active” looks different here: Think quality drops over quantity—occasional, meaty reads rather than constant updates.


• Mirror timing: When a substantial post appears on vitalik.ca, it may appear on Medium the same day or soon after, often with identical or very similar headlines.

Quick scan test: scroll his Medium profile and note the dates on the story cards. You’ll notice clusters around significant research discussions (rollups, L2 design, governance) and then quieter periods. That’s normal.

Reading experience and tools

Medium is built for long reads, and it shows. The typography, margins, and white space are easy on the eyes, especially on phones. Usability research backs this up—scannable text and clean layouts help readers stay focused and remember more (see Nielsen Norman Group’s classic findings on web reading patterns: nngroup.com/articles/how-users-read-on-the-web).

Here’s what works well when you’re reading Vitalik’s essays on Medium:

• Save for later: Tap the bookmark icon to add a post to your Medium reading list—handy for 15–20 minute essays.


• Highlights that stick: Select any passage to highlight. You can revisit your highlights from your profile and even share a quote link.


• Responses, not noise: The comments (“Responses”) live under the post and are usually more thoughtful than typical social threads.


• Share in one tap: Use the built-in share menu to copy a clean link for chats, newsletters, or research notes.


• Mobile-first readability: The Medium app supports dark mode and remembers where you left off. It’s comfortable for long sessions.


• Search smarter: Medium doesn’t offer a per-author search box, but you can use the platform search or a quick Google trick like:
  
  
  
  • site:medium.com/@VitalikButerin rollups
  
  
  • site:medium.com/@VitalikButerin “proof-of-stake”

Heads up on friction: you may occasionally see membership prompts. Most of his posts are public, but Medium loves a pop-up. If you hit a wall, try the app or reload from the official URL above—then keep reading.

Bottom line: when a new piece drops here, it’s usually a keeper—clear structure, tight arguments, and an easy layout that makes it simple to highlight the parts you’ll quote later.

Now that you can spot the real page and read it comfortably, want a shortcut to the best essays for your goal—beginner, investor, or builder? I’ll point you to the smartest “start here” picks next, so you don’t waste time guessing what to read first.

Themes and must-reads: start here based on your goal

If you want signal, not noise, start with the right posts for where you are. I’ve grouped Vitalik’s most useful pieces (often mirrored on his Medium) so you can learn fast without getting lost. Skim the short reasons, open the links in new tabs, and you’ll have a tight reading queue in minutes.

For beginners: explainers and big-picture pieces

Start with posts that explain why Ethereum is built the way it is, in plain language and with real trade-offs.

• “A rollup‑centric roadmap for Ethereum” — why scaling happens on Layer 2 and not by cranking up L1. Read it to understand how Ethereum stays decentralized while getting faster.
  
  


• “An incomplete guide to rollups” — optimistic vs. zk rollups in one go, trade-offs included. If you’re new, this is the clearest “what’s what” on L2s.
  
  


• “The most important scarce resource is legitimacy” — crypto isn’t just code; it’s a social system. This piece explains why community norms decide what’s “real” in forks, upgrades, and governance.
  
  


• “DAOs are not corporations” — what DAOs do well (and not), in words anyone can follow. Helpful if your first exposure to DAOs was hype.
  
  


• “Crypto cities” — a fun, approachable look at how crypto tools could help real communities and public goods.
  
  

“The most important scarce resource is legitimacy.”

Why this set first: it answers “why Ethereum this way?” without forcing you into math mode. Expect clearer mental models for decentralization, scaling, and governance before you touch anything technical.

For investors and operators: incentives and risks

If you’re staking, running an operation, or just allocating capital, these pieces sharpen your edge on sustainability and risk.

• “Endgame” — a frank look at how large blockchains might trend toward centralization, and the tools (like PBS) that can counter it. It’s the closest thing to a long-term “state of the chain” memo.
  
  


• “Don’t overload Ethereum’s consensus” — Vitalik’s caution on restaking and piling extra responsibilities on the base layer. If you’re eyeing restaking yields, read this twice.
  
  


• EIP‑1559 fee market design — why burn mechanics and base fees matter for long-term sustainability and user experience. Great context for fee dynamics and ETH supply.
  Start with the multidimensional fees post


• MEV and proposer/builder separation (PBS) — understand MEV’s centralization pressure and how PBS helps. This is core to your thesis on staking risk and validator diversity.
  Flashbots research hub for data-backed context, and MEV Watch for real-time censorship metrics.


• Public goods and funding mechanisms — why Ethereum spends attention (and money) on the commons, from Protocol Guild to quadratic funding. It’s part of the “why ETH” story.
  Quadratic funding overview and Gitcoin’s live impact (tens of millions distributed to open-source/public goods).

Note: third-party data has repeatedly shown MEV and relay reliance can concentrate power post‑Merge; keeping an eye on PBS progress isn’t optional if you care about long-term network health.

For developers and researchers: deep technical threads

Here’s a clean order that builds from L2 fundamentals to privacy and protocol mechanics.

• Start: “An incomplete guide to rollups” — set your baseline on optimistic vs. zk approaches and proofs.
  
  


• Then: data availability and proto‑danksharding (EIP‑4844) — the why behind “blobs,” fees, and throughput. Vitalik’s posts and EF docs pair well here.
  EF roadmap explainer


• Next: MEV, PBS, and censorship resistance — what an in‑protocol PBS might look like and how it shifts validator incentives. Look for Vitalik’s commentaries mirrored on Medium and cross‑posted on EthResearch.
  Vitalik on EthResearch


• Account abstraction (ERC‑4337 and beyond) — UX, safety, and programmability for wallets. Expect practical reasoning around paymasters, gas, and recovery.
  EIP‑4337 spec


• Privacy: stealth addresses and zk tools — a pragmatic take on how users can get cash‑like privacy without breaking compliance.
  Stealth addresses overview


• Fee markets and multidimensional pricing — ideas that show up in L2 design choices and congestion management.
  Multidimensional fees

Bonus pairing: read Vitalik’s Medium mirrors alongside the originals on vitalik.ca and relevant EthResearch threads. For topics like MEV or EIP‑4844, triangulate with EF specs and Flashbots posts for data, charts, and measured counterpoints.

Extra picks and timeless reads

These are bookmarks you’ll return to because they age well and keep showing up in new debates.

• “DAOs are not corporations” — a north star for how web3 orgs should behave when incentives get weird.
  
  


• “The most important scarce resource is legitimacy” — still the cleanest frame for forks, hard decisions, and community power.
  
  


• “Liberal Radicalism” (Quadratic Funding) — the academic backbone (with Weyl and Hitzig) behind a lot of public-goods tooling in Ethereum ecosystems.
  
  


• “Endgame” — it will keep feeling relevant each time censorship, L2 competition, or builder centralization comes up.
  
  


• “Don’t overload Ethereum’s consensus” — a concise gut‑check before you chase the next shiny restaking meta.
  
  

If you’re opening tabs right now, you’re doing it right. Want the simplest way to get pinged when a new Medium post drops—without pop-up headaches or spammy emails? I’ve got a clean setup that just works next.

How to follow Vitalik on Medium without missing important posts

If you only have time for the signal, not the noise, here’s how I keep Vitalik’s Medium on my radar without getting buried in alerts or nag screens. As he once put it, “The most important scarce resource is legitimacy.” Let’s make sure your attention goes to the right place—at the right time.

“The most important scarce resource is legitimacy.” — Vitalik Buterin

Follow, notifications, and email tips

Following on Medium is step one. Tuning alerts so they’re useful is what actually saves your day.

• Follow + Bell (Web): Go to medium.com/@VitalikButerin, click Follow, then hit the bell icon and select New stories. That’s the one notification that matters.


• Follow + Push (App): In the Medium app, tap Follow, then the bell on his profile. In app settings, turn On: “From writers you follow.” Turn Off: generic recommendations.


• Email settings that don’t spam: Visit medium.com/me/settings and in Email subscriptions:
  
  
  
  • On: New stories from writers you follow
  
  
  • Off: Weekly digests, generic “recommended” blasts
  
  
  • Optional: Comments/replies (only if you want to follow discussion)
  
  
  
  


• Pro tip (attention hygiene): Research by Gloria Mark (UC Irvine) shows interruptions can cost ~23 minutes to regain focus. Batch notifications: let Medium email you new posts, but disable everything else. You’ll still catch his work—without whiplash.


• My clean setup (copy this): Bell = New stories only. Emails = New stories from writers I follow, everything else off. App push = off. I read on my schedule, not Medium’s.

RSS and cross-post workarounds

Medium sometimes nags about membership or gets glitchy. No problem—use feeds and mirrors so you never miss a piece.

• Vitalik’s Medium RSS:https://medium.com/feed/@VitalikButerin


• Vitalik’s main blog RSS (often the original):https://vitalik.ca/feed.xml


• Add to Feedly (2 minutes): Open Feedly → “+ Add” → paste both feeds → create a “Vitalik” folder. Turn on per-source notifications if you want a push when a new post lands.


• Email/Telegram alerts with automation:
  
  
  
  • IFTTT: Applet “RSS Feed → Email” or “RSS Feed → Telegram.” Use the Medium feed URL. Now every new post hits your inbox or a private Telegram channel.
  
  
  • Zapier: Trigger: “New item in feed” → Action: “Send email” or “Slack message.” Paste the Medium feed. Add filters (title contains “rollup,” “zk”) to prioritize what you care about.
  
  
  
  


• When Medium nags you: Click through to the same post on vitalik.ca (most essays originate there), or use your browser’s Reader View for a clean, accessible layout.


• One-click personal archive: Send the RSS to your Notion or Google Drive via Zapier so every post is searchable later.

Language and accessibility

Whether English isn’t your first language or you prefer to listen on the go, here’s how to make reading effortless.

• Translate in your browser: Chrome and Edge auto-offer translation; Safari on iOS has “Translate” in the URL bar. For premium accuracy, open the article link in DeepL.


• Read-it-later with context:
  
  
  
  • Pocket: Save any Medium link, then use Pocket’s built-in text-to-speech to listen during commutes.
  
  
  • Instapaper: Clean typography, highlights, and speed reading. Great for technical sections.
  
  
  • Readwise Reader: Imports via RSS, supports translation, highlights, and syncs key quotes to your notes automatically.
  
  
  
  


• Text-to-speech on your phone: iOS: Settings → Accessibility → Speak Screen. Android: Settings → Accessibility → Select to Speak. Turn long essays into hands-free sessions.


• Comfort features: Medium has dark mode; Reader apps let you bump font size, line height, and contrast for less eye strain.


• Keep the thread of thought: If an essay is dense, save it to a tool with highlights + notes (Instapaper/Reader). Tag with “rollups,” “zk,” or “governance” so you can connect ideas across posts later.

Bottom line: follow with the bell, tame your emails, backstop with RSS, and give yourself an accessible way to read or listen anywhere. Now—before you click that bell—are you sure it’s the real account and not a lookalike? In the next section, I’ll show you fast checks to avoid fakes and misquotes that can waste your time or, worse, your funds.

Trust and safety: avoid fakes, scams, and misquotes

When you’re reading anything tied to a name as influential as Vitalik, you’re a target for copycats. This is where people get burned—not by complex cryptography, but by simple impersonation. As the FTC has warned, social platforms are a top entry point for investment scams, and crypto is a big part of that trend. Keep your guard up and use the checks below every time.

“Scams don’t look like scams; they look like shortcuts.”

Verify it’s the real account

Do these in under 60 seconds:

• Check the exact URL: It should be https://medium.com/@VitalikButerin. Watch for lookalikes like extra characters, punctuation, or odd capitalization tricks that hide a different handle.


• Cross-link sanity check: Open vitalik.ca (his main blog) and his social profiles (X, Farcaster). When he points to Medium, it’s usually to this exact handle and the link preview looks normal—no URL shorteners or strange top-level domains.


• Publication history that makes sense: Real posts are typically long-form, idea-dense, and align with his ongoing themes (rollups, zk proofs, staking, public goods). If the timeline is packed with giveaways or token announcements, that’s not him.


• Voice and style: He uses careful, measured language and explains trade-offs. Expect phrases like “credibly neutral,” “rollups,” “quadratic funding,” “MEV,” and charts/math when needed—never hypey calls to “ape,” “mint now,” or “claim in 10 minutes.”


• “Originally published on” note: Many Medium posts are imports from vitalik.ca. Scroll to the end—Medium often shows “Originally published on vitalik.ca,” which is a strong authenticity signal.


• Community signals: Check the comments and highlights. You’ll often see thoughtful discussion from known researchers and builders (not botted “GM” or “airdrop when?” spam).

Tip: If you’re on mobile, open the ellipsis (…) menu in your browser bar and view the full URL. Homograph tricks (like swapping letters with similar-looking Unicode) are a real thing—especially in crypto.

Spotting impostors and reporting them

Common red flags I see on fake Medium profiles and posts:

• Token/airdrop bait: “Official L2 drop,” “connect wallet to claim,” “send 1 ETH, get 2 ETH back.” Vitalik does not run giveaways, period.


• Wallet-connect buttons in-article: Medium posts are articles, not dApps. Any embedded “Connect” or QR code is a trap.


• Urgency and countdowns: Timers, “last chance,” or “only today.” His writing is evergreen, not flash campaign material.


• Odd handle patterns: Examples: @VitaliIkButerin (double i), @VitalikButerln (l-n swap), @ButerinVitalik_ with underscores or numbers.


• Off-domain links: External links pointing to newly registered domains, link shorteners, or domains that imitate vitalik.ca with extra letters.

How to take action on Medium right away:

• Report the profile: Go to the profile → click the three dots (…) → “Report.” Choose “Impersonation” or “Scam/phishing.”


• Report the story: On the post → three dots (…) → “Report story” → pick “Scam or fraud.”


• Block and warn others: Use “Block” on the profile so their content stops appearing. Share the real link with your community to crowd-out the fake.

Why be strict? The FBI’s 2023 IC3 report noted record losses to investment fraud, with crypto frequently involved. Impersonation is a core tactic because it bypasses your technical defenses and hijacks your trust.

Quote responsibly

If you share or cite something from his Medium, don’t give scammers the oxygen they want.

• Always link the source: Include the full Medium URL, the post title, and the publish date. If you’re sharing a specific paragraph, use Medium’s highlight feature and share the highlight link.


• No cropped screenshots without context: Screenshots can be edited or stripped of metadata. If you must screenshot, add the URL in the image caption and include a text link.


• Quote, don’t paraphrase the hot take: Vitalik’s writing is nuanced. Pull the exact lines you’re referencing and keep them in quotation marks so nobody misreads the intent.


• Preserve a snapshot: For high-stakes debates, save a copy to an archival service (e.g., the Wayback Machine) and include both the live link and the archive link.


• Don’t amplify scams by accident: If you debunk a fake, mark it as fake in the first sentence and link to the authentic post. Avoid screenshotting the scam’s QR codes or links.

One last habit that pays: before you act on any “new announcement” attributed to him, triangulate it. Check his blog, a known EF communication channel, and his X/Farcaster feed. If only one suspicious Medium page is saying it, assume it’s bait.

Now that you can read safely, here’s the real question: when should you actually use Medium for his writing—and when are you better off going straight to his main blog or EF posts? Let’s break that down next.

Pros, cons, and when to use Medium vs other channels

“In a space that moves at block time, your attention is the scarce asset. Read where the signal is strongest.”

What Medium does well

When I want quick clarity from Vitalik without twelve tabs open, Medium is usually the fastest path to value. Here’s why:

• Readable, fast, and clean: The typography, white space, and mobile layout make long essays easier on the eyes. That matters because, as Nielsen Norman Group found, readers typically consume only about 20–28% of words on a page—good structure and scannability boost comprehension.


• “Skim to value” structure: Many of Vitalik’s long-form pieces use headings, short paragraphs, and lists. On Medium, those sections pop, so you can jump straight to “Tradeoffs,” “Risks,” or “Why this matters” without losing the thread.


• Highlights and quotes: Selecting text to highlight creates instant notes you can revisit. Active reading keeps the complex stuff (think staking incentives or rollup models) from slipping away five minutes later.


• Comments and shareability: Comment threads often surface clarifying examples or counterpoints, and sharing a post or a highlighted quote is painless—helpful if you’re passing something to a teammate or community group.


• Consistent reading time: The “X min read” estimate helps you choose whether to commit now or save it. It sounds small, but for dense topics, that time cue prevents half-read tabs from piling up.

What’s not ideal

Medium isn’t perfect for Vitalik’s material, and these pain points show up regularly:

• Sporadic cadence: Vitalik posts in bursts. On Medium, that can feel quiet for months, then busy. If you’re expecting weekly updates here, you’ll probably be disappointed.


• Membership prompts: His posts are generally free to read, but Medium sometimes throws up membership banners or interstitials. They’re not true paywalls, just friction.


• Duplicate content: Many essays appear first on his main blog and are then mirrored (or summarized) on Medium. If you already read it at vitalik.ca, you may not gain anything new here.


• Formatting limits for deep tech: Dense math, long footnotes, and code snippets usually render cleaner on his own site. When the argument hinges on notation, I prefer the original.


• Search quirks: Medium search can miss posts unless you know the exact phrasing. If you’re hunting for a specific concept (“don’t overload consensus,” “L2 data availability”), direct search on his blog or via Google can be quicker.

When to read elsewhere

Medium is great for approachable reading and sharing—but it’s not always the right tool. Here’s how I choose my channel based on the job-to-be-done:

• Go to his main blog (vitalik.ca) if you want:
  
  
  
  • First publication: New essays typically land here first.
  
  
  • Full technical depth: Better handling of math, footnotes, and long-form reasoning. If you’re validating claims about rollup security or L2 economics, this is the source of truth.
  
  
  • Search reliability: Direct titles and tags make it easier to find that one post you half-remember from 2021.
  
  
  
  


• Check the Ethereum Foundation Blog if you need:
  
  
  
  • Research and roadmap signals: Protocol upgrades, grants, client updates, and broader ecosystem research with references.
  
  
  • Team perspectives: Posts from researchers and client teams that complement—or pressure-test—Vitalik’s ideas.
  
  
  
  


• Use social (X/Twitter, Farcaster) when you want:
  
  
  
  • Real-time pulse: Short takes, clarifications, and links to in-progress thinking.
  
  
  • Community context: Responses from researchers and founders that signal what’s controversial or consensus.
  
  
  
  


• Jump into EIPs/GitHub if you’re:
  
  
  
  • Implementing or integrating: Specs, discussions, and issues—the canonical details engineers need.
  
  
  • Verifying claims: Trace an idea from essay to proposal to implementation status.
  
  
  
  

If I’m onboarding a newcomer or sharing a big-picture essay with a non-technical investor, Medium wins on readability and frictionless sharing. If I’m reviewing a nuanced argument about “don’t overload Ethereum’s consensus” or comparing rollup data availability strategies, I go straight to the main blog or the EF research posts. Different channels, different jobs.

Want the no-BS answers on whether he’s active right now, which topics he hits most, and how to get alerts without spam? That’s exactly what I’m tackling next—keep reading.

FAQ: quick answers to the questions people ask

Is Vitalik active on Medium right now?

Yes—just don’t expect daily posts. He treats Medium as a companion channel to his main blog, so you’ll see occasional cross-posts, often clustered around big research threads or network milestones. Quiet stretches are normal. If you want every essay the moment it’s live, pairing Medium with his main blog is the safest move.

What topics does he write about most?

Recurring themes include:

• Scalability and rollups: why L2s carry the load and how they evolve.


• Zero-knowledge (zk) tech: SNARKs/STARKs, privacy, and proving systems.


• Proof-of-stake economics: staking incentives, security, and risk management.


• MEV and protocol design: proposer-builder separation, market structure.


• Governance and public goods: e.g., quadratic funding; his co-authored research on Liberal Radicalism influenced Gitcoin’s matching rounds.


• Roadmaps and trade-offs: how upgrades like proto-danksharding fit the bigger picture.

Expect first-principles framing, with examples from real-world Ethereum usage and research prototypes.

Is the content beginner-friendly or super technical?

Both. Many posts start with plain-language intuition and then shift into deeper reasoning. If you’re new, look for explainers and roadmaps; if you’re technical, you’ll get math-y arguments, model sketches, and edge-case analysis. A good first step for newcomers is an explainer on rollups; for builders, pieces on MEV/PBS and data availability will feel right at home.

How do I know it’s really his account?

• URL check: make sure it’s exactly https://medium.com/@VitalikButerin (watch for extra characters or hyphens).


• Cross-post tells: many genuine posts note “Originally posted on vitalik.ca.”


• Voice and history: consistent research tone, long-form essays, and a posting history that mirrors themes on his main blog.


• Community signals: high-quality discussion, not giveaway spam or token pitches.

“If it’s shilling a coin, running a giveaway, or asking you to connect a wallet, it’s not him.”

How often does he post?

Historically, think bursts rather than a steady weekly cadence. Medium might see a few posts in a season and then a gap while he publishes on his own site or works through research. No posts for a month doesn’t mean he’s gone—just that the next bigger piece is cooking.

Can I cite or quote his Medium posts?

• Yes—quote short passages and link the original post.


• Include title, author, publication date, and if present, the note that it’s a cross-post.


• For charts/diagrams, check any licensing notes on the page; when in doubt, use a brief excerpt and add clear attribution.


• For academic work or reports, it’s smart to include a stable link to the canonical version (often his main blog).

Can I get alerts when he publishes?

• On Medium: hit Follow on his profile, then tap the bell to enable notifications. In Settings → Email, turn on “New stories from writers you follow.”


• RSS-style: subscribe to https://medium.com/feed/@VitalikButerin in your reader. Many readers handle Medium feeds well.


• Bonus reliability: add his main blog’s RSS too, so you don’t miss anything during Medium slowdowns.

What should I read first?

• New to Ethereum? Start with a rollup overview—why Ethereum scales via L2s and what that means for users. It’s the clearest “map” of where things are going.


• Investor/operator or builder? Read a governance-minimization piece (e.g., on not overloading Ethereum’s consensus) to understand the risks of pushing too much into the base layer—useful for risk frameworks and product decisions.

If you want one more pick with lasting value: his thoughts on MEV and proposer–builder separation set expectations for how block markets may evolve.

Want my no-fluff score, a 10-minute action plan, and the exact settings I use so I never miss a key post? That’s up next—curious which channel I prioritize when time is short?

My rating and next steps to get the most value

The score, in plain English

Overall: 8.8/10. If you want signal straight from the source, this is worth your attention. The essays are clear, grounded in first-principles thinking, and often nudge the ecosystem forward. When he publishes, it tends to matter.

• Usefulness: 9/10 — You get frameworks you can actually use, not just hot takes.


• Clarity: 9/10 — Concepts like rollup security, staking incentives, or public goods funding are explained with uncommon precision.


• Depth: 9.5/10 — Posts often connect research, economics, and social trade-offs in one place.


• Cadence: 7/10 — Not frequent. Expect bursts of meaningful essays rather than a constant stream.


• Accessibility: 7.5/10 — Occasional Medium membership prompts and some duplication with his main blog, but the reading experience is smooth once you’re in.

Sample wins you’ll feel right away:

• Nuanced explanations of why Ethereum is rollup-centric and what that means for trust assumptions.


• Thoughtful takes on staking and network health that go beyond “APR and vibes.”


• Pragmatic discussions of zk-proof progress, data availability, and MEV risk—topics that actually impact builders and serious investors.

Why this format works: research on web reading shows most of us scan first and then commit when we spot value. If you skim headings and highlights, you’ll land on the parts that matter to you fast. See Nielsen Norman Group’s classic piece on scanning behavior.

Short version: if you care about where Ethereum’s going—in design, economics, or governance—these essays are a high-signal filter.

A 10-minute action plan

Want the insights without the time sink? Here’s a quick setup that pays off.

• Minute 1–2: Open the real page: medium.com/@VitalikButerin. Hit Follow.


• Minute 3–4: Fix notifications so you don’t miss key posts. In Medium, set Only for writers I follow and consider email alerts for new posts.


• Minute 5–6: Add the RSS feed to your reader: medium.com/feed/@VitalikButerin. This sidesteps membership pop-ups and keeps everything in one queue.


• Minute 7–8: Queue two reads: one “big picture” essay (Ethereum’s trajectory, scaling trade-offs) and one deeper technical post (rollups/zk/MEV). Use Save on Medium so they’re in your Reading List.


• Minute 9: Turn on highlights. Pick one paragraph that changes your mind and highlight it—this makes future recall much easier.


• Minute 10: Add a recurring reminder (monthly) to skim new posts or highlights. It’s a lightweight habit that compounds.

Pro tip: batching your reading beats constant notifications. A monthly sweep is enough to capture the important things without whiplash. Medium’s UI helps here—highlights and saves keep context intact when you come back.

What I’ll keep an eye on

• L2 maturity: Are we moving from “many L2s” to stronger security and shared standards? Expect essays on trust models and bridging risk.


• Data availability after EIP-4844: What’s next for blob space, costs, and how this reshapes L2 economics?


• zk progress: Practical trade-offs in proving systems, decentralizing provers, and real app patterns that benefit from ZK beyond privacy.


• MEV mitigation: How PBS, builder markets, and research like SUAVE-type ideas evolve—and what users should realistically expect.


• Governance experiments: Retro funding, quadratic choices, and credible neutrality—where these models work, and where they don’t.

These are the levers that actually change UX, costs, and security over the next 12–24 months. If a new piece addresses any of these, it goes to the top of the queue.

My verdict

Yes—follow it. The cadence isn’t daily, but that’s the point. When a new essay lands, it often reframes a debate or clarifies the next step in Ethereum’s roadmap. Set up your notifications and RSS once, save two starter reads, and you’ll capture 90% of the value with almost no ongoing effort.

I’ll keep tracking new essays and any changes to posting patterns on cryptolinks.com so you always have the fastest path to the good stuff.