Introduction: A parallel universe without Ethereum
In 2025, we celebrate the 10th birthday of Ethereum. Over the decade, it has grown from a 'world computer' whitepaper concept into a blockchain infrastructure supporting hundreds of billions of dollars in market value.
But today, let's open our minds: if Vitalik Buterin (V God) had not proposed Ethereum back then, or if his computer had blue-screened while writing the white paper, what would our world look like?
Perhaps we are still living under the rule of 'Bitcoin Maxis' (Bitcoin extremists), listening to them chant 'digital gold' and 'HODL' every day, while words like smart contracts, DeFi (decentralized finance), and NFTs (non-fungible tokens) do not exist at all.
Or worse - we might still be using Excel spreadsheets to record 'decentralized finance' transactions, while the 'metaverse' is just a group of people buying pixel land with virtual currency in (Second Life).
Let's imagine what this parallel universe without Ethereum would be like.
Chapter One: Blockchain = Bitcoin, Smart Contracts = Legal Contracts?
Before Ethereum, blockchain was almost synonymous with Bitcoin. Bitcoin is great, but it's like a calculator that can only compute 1+1=2 - it has a single function and cannot scale.
If not for Ethereum:
Smart contracts? They might still be theoretical, or manually executed by lawyers. Imagine buying a house not through an automatic transfer via smart contract, but requiring three notaries, two paper contracts, and a cup of coffee's worth of time.
Decentralized apps (DApps)? They might not exist at all, or only be some crude experiments on Bitcoin sidechains.
ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings)? People might still be using Kickstarter to crowdfund, then waiting three years only to find out the project has run away.
Real-world impact: Today's DeFi (decentralized finance) might still be stuck in the 'decentralized P2P lending' phase, while Uniswap's founder Hayden Adams might still be repairing turbines at General Electric.
Chapter Two: NFTs = QQ Show? Metaverse = (World of Warcraft) private servers?
In 2021, NFTs became a global phenomenon, with Beeple's Everydays selling for $69 million, and Bored Apes (BAYC) becoming a status symbol. But without Ethereum's ERC-721 standard, NFTs might just be:
Tencent's QQ Show upgraded - buy virtual clothes with money, but can't resell.
(World of Warcraft) gold and equipment - Blizzard can ban your account anytime, and your 'digital assets' don't belong to you.
Certain niche forums' 'honor badges' - valued by no one except the site owner.
Real-world impact:
Artists might still be relying on gallery splits to survive, while Beeple might just be an overworked designer at some company.
Musk wouldn't change his Twitter avatar to an NFT, but would continue to post Dogecoin memes.
Jay Chou's Phanta Bear might just be a trendy toy, rather than a digital collectible on the blockchain.
Chapter Three: DeFi = Bank App + Higher Fees?
Today's DeFi (decentralized finance) allows us to lend, trade, and manage finances without banks, but without Ethereum:
Lending might still be dominated by banks and P2P platforms, with an annual interest rate of 2%, but requiring 20 pages of forms.
Decentralized exchanges (DEX) might not exist at all; you can only pray not to get unplugged while using centralized exchanges (CEX).
Stablecoins might only be USDT, and Tether's transparency issues would keep you awake at night.
Real-world impact:
SBF (FTX founder) might still be a quant trader on Wall Street, rather than pondering life in a Bahamian prison.
Vitalik Buterin might have become a celebrity on some Russian math forum, rather than the $1 billion 'Crypto Jesus'.
Chapter Four: Web3 = Web2.0 + More Ads?
Today's Web3 promises 'data ownership for users', but without Ethereum:
Your social account would still belong to Meta (Facebook), and Zuckerberg could ban you at any time.
Your game equipment would still belong to Steam or Blizzard, and Gabe Newell would be laughing silently.
Your privacy data would still be used by Google and Amazon to train AI, and you'd only receive more targeted ads.
Real-world impact:
Twitter (now X) might not support crypto payments, and Musk might still be arguing with the SEC.
Meta's metaverse might really just be a bunch of ugly VR meeting rooms, rather than today's 'Horizon Worlds' (though it's still pretty ugly).
Chapter Five: The Legacy of Ethereum - Do We Really Need It?
Of course, Ethereum is not perfect; it has experienced congestion, high gas fees, and fork wars, and some believe that 'ETH killers' will replace it. But it cannot be denied:
Ethereum transformed blockchain from 'digital gold' to 'programmable financial and social infrastructure'.
If not for it:
Blockchain may still be in the 'geek toy' stage, and ordinary people wouldn't care at all.
Cryptocurrencies might just be speculative tools, not real technological innovations.
We might still be using traditional financial systems, enduring inefficiency, high fees, and lack of transparency.
Conclusion: Thank you V God for not raising dragons
It is said that Vitalik Buterin was addicted to World of Warcraft as a child, until Blizzard nerfed his warlock skills, after which he deleted the game in anger and turned to studying Bitcoin, eventually creating Ethereum.
If Blizzard hadn't nerfed that skill back then, V God might still be gaming today, and our world would have a lot less madness and chaos, but also a lot fewer possibilities.
So, on the 10th anniversary of Ethereum, let's thank:
Thank you V God for not raising dragons, or we might still be using Bitcoin to buy pizza today.
Thank you smart contracts for allowing us to execute transactions automatically, rather than relying on lawyers and notaries.
Thank you NFTs for allowing artists to finally earn directly, instead of being cut by galleries.
Thank you DeFi for showing us that finance can exist without banks.
Of course, we also have to thank those who became rich (or lost everything) because of Ethereum; you made this industry so exciting.
What will blockchain look like in ten years? Who knows? Maybe we'll be using ETH to buy land on Mars, or discover that V God is actually AI. But in any case, this world has become quite different because of Ethereum.
Afterword
If you liked this article, you can donate some ETH. The address is:
0x172B47e864172426bAa1b942b1FD69928BA59b2E
Just kidding, but if you really want to donate, I won't refuse!
Happy 10th Birthday, Ethereum! 🎂🚀
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