[Wu Blockchain News] Vitalik: Crypto Exchanges Must Prioritize Survival Over Competition in the Next Two Years

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said crypto exchanges and custodians should prioritize survival over competition over the next two years, citing a wave of major hacks that have increasingly hit user interfaces and centralized components rather than smart contracts. Speaking to Moneycontrol, he urged a more defensive security posture and warned that continued breaches could invite stricter regulatory requirements. On Ethereum’s roadmap, Buterin pointed to zero-knowledge proofs, AI and formal verification as key to advancing “Lean Ethereum.” He also said Layer 2 networks should pursue differentiated applications—high-performance DeFi, privacy and enterprise use cases—rather than merely replicating Ethereum’s scaling. The comments matter as exchanges absorb repeated security failures that could shape regulation and user trust; watch for exchange security overhauls and clearer differentiation among L2s.