During his keynote speech at TOKEN2049, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin addressed the audience with insights on the evolution of the cryptocurrency landscape. Buterin emphasized that the crypto industry has progressed beyond its nascent phase. Drawing parallels to the Internet’s historic development, he noted that discussions about cryptocurrency’s infancy have persisted since Bitcoin’s inception. Highlighting Ethereum’s decade-long journey and the transformative rise of ChatGPT within 15 years, Buterin questioned the narrative of crypto’s early stage. According to him, the sector is now in a distinctive phase of its lifecycle. With the mentioned milestones, he suggested that although the blockchain domain is witnessing important infrastructure and innovation, its maturity demands a revised perspective on current progress.