Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin says the top priority for exchanges in the next two years is survival
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said in an interview with Moneycontrol that more and more people realize their top priority over the next two years is not to win, but to survive. He said exchanges, custodians and institutions are entering “bunker mode,” prioritizing security and resilience over expansion.
Buterin said that recent large-scale attacks have targeted user interfaces and centralized components more than smart contracts. He recommended using multisignature wallets and warned that if hacking problems continue, regulators may require companies to take a more conservative approach and assume stricter security responsibilities.
The interview also covered India’s developer ecosystem and the Lean Ethereum direction. Moneycontrol published the related report on November 4.
Original source:
Title: Next two years will be about survival, not winning for crypto exchanges: Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin warns amid rising hacks
Publisher: Moneycontrol
Publication date: 2026-11-04
URL: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/startup/mc-interview-next-two-years-will-be-about-survival-not-winning-for-crypto-exchanges-ethereum-co-founder-vitalik-buterin-warns-amid-rising-hacks-14069557.html
Source type: media interview report
Verification status: the report and the quoted original text from Moneycontrol’s official X account were read
Supporting content: “the next two years will be about survival, not winning,” bunker mode, regulatory intervention may be possible
ABAB AI Insight
In the interview, Vitalik described the priority for exchanges over the next two years as survival rather than competition. The statement addresses recent attacks on centralized components.
He said attacks at the smart-contract layer have decreased, while interfaces and custody links remain the main risk points. Multisignature wallets were presented as a specific recommendation.
Based on the public remarks, this is a statement linking security issues with regulatory consequences. He expects that if incidents continue, regulators will require more conservative operations.
Structurally, the remarks focus on the short-term priorities of exchanges and custodians. No specific project timeline or funding arrangement changes were mentioned.
ABAB News · Law of Cognition
Vitalik said the top priority for exchanges over the next two years is survival rather than winning, and mentioned bunker mode.
He pointed out that recent attacks have targeted centralized components and interfaces more than smart contracts.
He warned that if hacking problems continue, regulators may require companies to take a more conservative approach.