According to Odaily, renowned TV host and economist Joe Weisenthal has noted a significant shift in cryptocurrency culture over the past 5-6 years. He pointed out that discussions that were once dominated by idealistic concepts such as blockchain democracy, universal basic income (UBI), and an open internet have now been replaced by financial and meme coins.
In response to Weisenthal's observations, Vitalik Buterin, a prominent figure in the cryptocurrency world, highlighted that many idealistic open internet projects have made significant progress. He cited examples such as Farcaster, Lens, quadratic and traceability financing, Zupass, privacy-protected ETH sending methods, and ZK voting implementations.
These developments indicate that while the focus of discussions may have shifted, the drive towards innovation and progress in the realm of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology remains strong. The shift in conversation topics could be seen as a reflection of the evolving landscape of cryptocurrency, with a growing emphasis on financial aspects and meme coins. However, the progress made in open internet projects suggests that the idealistic vision of the early cryptocurrency enthusiasts is still being pursued.