The Ethereum Foundation suddenly issued a "death warrant," claiming it wants to make itself disappear. The community exploded, with some saying this is a return to punk spirit, and others criticizing it as disconnected, ideological nonsense.

On the evening of March 13, the Ethereum Foundation's board released a strange document. Opening it, the entire screen was filled with stars, elves, and wizards, with formatting like an anime poster.

But beneath this packaging lay a shocking manifesto: the Ethereum Foundation's ultimate goal is to make itself unnecessary.

They created a test called the "unplugging test"—if the Ethereum Foundation suddenly dissolved tomorrow, would the Ethereum network still function normally? Their answer must be: yes.

It's like a father telling his child: I teach you skills so that one day you won't need me.

**Four Iron Laws, Not One Can Be Missing**

The Foundation set four principles for itself, abbreviated as CROPS:

Censorship resistance, open source, privacy, security.

These four words appeared 32 times in the document. The Foundation's position is clear: we'd rather move slowly than get these wrong from day one. Because once we compromise, getting them back is basically impossible.

It's like virginity—once lost, it's lost.

But here's the problem: the real world doesn't run on CROPS. What users really care about is speed, cost-effectiveness, and usability. You stick to idealism, and others take the market.

**The Foundation Drew Up a Long List of "What Not to Do"**

Even more interesting, the Foundation listed a bunch of things it can't do:

Not a company, not a king-maker, not a certification authority, not a product studio, not a marketing company, not a boss, not a government agency, not a casino, not an opportunist.

This list reads like a serious disclaimer. But reality is cruel: if you don't do it, someone else will. If you don't play boss, the market will select a new one.

**The Community Erupted**

Less than 24 hours after the document was released, the community was completely polarized.

Critics say: this is a 180-degree reversal that marginalizes the most market-friendly applications. Stablecoins, institutional adoption, RWA—these money-making things have all been sidelined.

Supporters say: this is Ethereum's essence. Every other chain is copying homework, so why should we abandon our advantage?

Vitalik personally jumped in to clarify: this isn't surprising. We're meant to be guardians, not rulers.

**The Ultimate Question of Ideals vs. Reality**

The most heart-wrenching part of this manifesto is that it exposes the dilemma of idealism.

On one hand, if you stick to principles, you might be surpassed by more "pragmatic" competitors. On the other hand, if you compromise your principles, what's the point of your existence?

More realistically: the Foundation's operating budget depends heavily on ETH price. You say you don't care about price, but the budget speaks louder.

And who will monitor whether the Foundation keeps these commitments? If the team changes, will this manifesto still count?

**The Final Stars**

The manifesto closes with a quote from Dante's "Divine Comedy": "And so we came forth to see the stars again."

The Foundation compares itself to a traveler trudging through hell, willing to endure the suffering and skepticism of reality to march toward the "digital freedom" constellation.

They even made a meme image called "source code seppuku license," stating: if the Foundation fails to keep its promises, let it self-destruct.

Is this manifesto a return of punk spirit or detached, idealistic nonsense?

Time will tell. But one thing is certain: in a world full of compromises, having people willing to stake their lives on ideals is rare. #加密市场上涨 $BTC $GT $ETH

The question is: how did the idealists ultimately end up?