Vitalik Buterin raised d/acc: the crypto world is once again splitting into two philosophies

The ether of one of the most influential minds in the crypto world is new. On August 19, the founder of Ethereum registered the domain dacc.eth, then announced that he would discuss his concept on an audio platform. This shows seriousness: d/acc is no longer just a theory in a notebook, it’s now a tool for builders.

What is this anyway?

d/acc stands for Defensive Accelerationism—as opposed to the VC-popular e/acc (Effective Accelerationism). In short:

• d = defense (protection) + decentralization (decentralization) + democracy + differential (diversity)
• The essence: accelerate technology, but carefully, with a focus on security and anti-monopoly

Why is this important?

e/acc, popularized by Marc Andreessen and Y Combinator, says: move into the night, risks are the delta of progress. Vitalik responds: yes, but let’s care for the antifragile first.

d/acc emphasizes:

• Protection against concentration of power — technology shouldn’t become a tool for control
• Decentralized models — distributed influence is better than monopoly
• Democratic participation — users should have a voice, not just investors
• Diversity in development — one path leads to ruin, many paths lead to evolution

Political subtext

This is not just a philosophy. d/acc is the Ethereum community’s response to the current wave of VC money flowing into AI and centralized solutions. Vitalik is essentially saying: “We’re not developing slower, but smarter.”

Why is this trending now?

ENS is an artistic choice. Vitalik is sending a signal that ENS as a decentralized domain system is a symbol of what works. The domain dacc.eth sounds like a manifesto.

Edge-rushing? Yes. But with a parachute. This is a new frame for crypto in 2025.