Qiao Wang, from Alliance DAO, points out that Ethereum’s (ETH) development and scaling narratives may be too intricate for average developers and entrepreneurs while remaining “intellectually satisfying” for researchers and architects. This complexity, in contrast to Solana‘s (SOL) clear goals, has sparked confusion in the market, according to Wang.
In a recent statement to his 133,000 followers on X, Wang criticized what he termed as the “ETH marketing department” for constantly introducing new narratives, jargon, and buzzword-laden roadmaps. He highlighted the perpetual promotion of these elements as a major misstep, emphasizing that Solana, on the other hand, maintains a straightforward narrative of being the “fastest and cheapest” blockchain.
Wang clarified that the term “marketing department” for Ethereum should be in quotes, acknowledging that neither the blockchain nor the Ethereum Foundation has a centralized unit specifically responsible for promotional activities.
The increasing complexity of Ethereum, with its myriad shared sequencers, bridges, and numerous rollups, poses challenges for teams primarily interested in building secure and fast decentralized applications efficiently. Wang suggests that while the complexity might appeal to “technocrats and academics,” the majority of cryptocurrency project teams remain focused on pragmatism.
The criticism of Ethereum’s focus on Layer 2 (L2) solutions is not isolated, as Cyber Capital CIO Justin Bons had previously expressed similar concerns. Bons anticipated a shift in focus towards non-EVM blockchains such as Near and MultiversX.
Despite these challenges, Wang believes that Ethereum can address these issues by simplifying its messaging to become more attractive to developers. In the ongoing discussions in 2024, various metrics indicate Solana’s surpassing of Ethereum, such as weekly stablecoin transfers and becoming the most-used blockchain for decentralized exchanges (DEXes) in daily and weekly time frames by late December 2023. Ethereum now faces the imperative task of streamlining its narrative to compete effectively in this evolving landscape.
