Ethereum News Today: Ethereum's "1995 Moment": Guild Ignites App-Driven Revolution

Vitalik Buterin and Dr. Xiao Feng have launched the Ethereum Applications Guild (EAG), a collaborative initiative aimed at accelerating the development of real-world applications on the Ethereum ecosystem. Announced during the Token2049 Summit in Singapore, the EAG seeks to transition Ethereum from an infrastructure-focused phase to an application-driven era by fostering open, transparent, and sustainable collaboration among developers, researchers, and institutionsVitalik Buterin and Dr. Xiao Feng Jointly Initiate Ethereum Applications Guild (EAG), Calling on Global Builders to Co-create a New Paradigm for Collaboration^[1]. The initiative builds on a three-year experiment called Shanhaiwoo, a global collaborative space initiated by Dr. Xiao Feng in 2023. Shanhaiwoo, which hosted builders in locations such as Beidahu (China), Chiang Mai (Thailand), and Singapore, emphasized cross-disciplinary work in AI, crypto, and public goods, highlighting the Ethereum ecosystem's need for structured co-creation mechanismsVitalik Buterin and Dr. Xiao Feng Jointly Initiate Ethereum Applications Guild (EAG), Calling on Global Builders to Co-create a New Paradigm for Collaboration^[1].

The EAG is not a traditional foundation or accelerator but a conceptual framework designed to create a global network for Ethereum-native applications. By leveraging Shanhaiwoo's insights, the EAG addresses gaps in public goods funding and large-scale application deployment. Dr. Xiao Feng described the initiative as a "pivotal moment" for Ethereum's application layer, drawing parallels to the "1995 moment" in internet history-a reference to the rapid application explosion that followed the commercialization of the webVitalik Buterin and Dr. Xiao Feng Jointly Initiate Ethereum Applications Guild (EAG), Calling on Global Builders to Co-create a New Paradigm for Collaboration^[1]. Vitalik Buterin emphasized the importance of long-term builders anchoring their projects on Ethereum to drive real-world adoption, stating that the ecosystem now requires "authentic, bottom-up collaboration" to evolve beyond its infrastructure phaseVitalik Buterin and Dr. Xiao Feng Jointly Initiate Ethereum Applications Guild (EAG), Calling on Global Builders to Co-create a New Paradigm for Collaboration^[1].

The EAG invites diverse stakeholders, including ETH treasury organizations, Layer-2 teams, developer communities, and research institutions, to join its early-stage consensus-building efforts. The initiative aims to establish a decentralized governance model that prioritizes practical deployment and coordinated funding for public goodsVitalik Buterin and Dr. Xiao Feng Jointly Initiate Ethereum Applications Guild (EAG), Calling on Global Builders to Co-create a New Paradigm for Collaboration^[1]. By aligning treasuries and builders, the EAG seeks to create repeatable incubation frameworks for production-grade decentralized applications (dApps). Early participants include HashKey Group, which has pledged to support native applications on its HashKey Chain L2 networkVitalik Buterin and Dr. Xiao Feng Jointly Initiate Ethereum Applications Guild (EAG), Calling on Global Builders to Co-create a New Paradigm for Collaboration^[1].

Key structural challenges identified by the EAG include fragmented funding, weak coordination between stakeholders, and a lack of production-ready workflows. To address these, the guild proposes collaboration lanes focused on specific verticals such as DeFi, Web3 public goods, and AI integration. Treasury coordination mechanisms will align funding sources with project milestones, while incubation environments will test and deploy dApps. Vitalik Buterin and Dr. Xiao Feng also highlighted the need for sustainable public goods support, reducing reliance on ad-hoc grants and improving long-term infrastructure sustainability.

The EAG's success will be measured by metrics such as active user adoption, transaction volume, and the launch of production-ready dApps. By formalizing co-creation and leveraging lessons from Shanhaiwoo, the initiative aims to catalyze Ethereum's transition into an application-driven ecosystem. Developers and institutions are encouraged to engage with EAG cohorts to accelerate real-world use cases, with contact information provided at contact@shanhaiwoo.comVitalik Buterin and Dr. Xiao Feng Jointly Initiate Ethereum Applications Guild (EAG), Calling on Global Builders to Co-create a New Paradigm for Collaboration^[1]. The initiative's launch marks a strategic shift in Ethereum's evolution, prioritizing application-scale outcomes over infrastructure alone.