Vitalik Buterin Backs “Copyleft” to Keep Crypto Code Open

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Written by Aaron S.,

Editor-In-Chief

Last Updated: July 08, 2025

Key Takeaways

Vitalik Buterin supports "copyleft" licensing to ensure developers share any changes they make to open-source crypto code;
He argued that the crypto industry has become less cooperative and that stronger sharing rules could help restore collaboration;
While "permissive" licenses allow private use, Buterin noted that it is more realistic to require code sharing to keep the community open.

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Vitalik Buterin Backs “Copyleft” to Keep Crypto Code Open

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Vitalik Buterin has shared that he supports "copyleft" licensing, which requires anyone who uses shared code to also make their own changes public.

The Ethereum ETH $3,002.81 co-founder stated in a July 7 blog post that the industry has become less cooperative, and stricter open-source rules could help bring people back to working together.

Buterin explained that he used to prefer "permissive" licenses, which let anyone reuse and modify code freely without having to share what they build. Over time, he came to see the limits of that approach.

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In contrast, "copyleft" licenses allow people to use and modify code as they like, but only if they also release their own modifications under the same terms.

He wrote that while he still dislikes copyright and patents, he sees a need for stronger incentives to keep developers from locking their work away.

According to Buterin, open-source software has gone mainstream, and it is no longer enough to count on people sharing voluntarily. He said it is more realistic to make code access conditional on giving back to the community.

He acknowledged that "copyleft" can feel restrictive in some situations. For example, when someone uses code only internally and never releases it, being forced to publish it anyway might seem unnecessary.

Recently, Buterin and Toni Wahrstätter introduced a proposal known as EIP-7983. What does it cover? Read the full story.