Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has published a detailed article discussing the appropriate boundaries of crypto incentives. He argues that incentives should primarily compensate for unavoidable temporary costs before a protocol matures, rather than attracting low-quality users who will not engage with the protocol long-term. Buterin highlights that liquidity rewards in the DeFi sector are justified as they offset early risks. However, he criticizes the practice of paying tokens for social media attention, such as tweet subsidies, which can degrade community quality and lead to user attrition once incentives dry up. He urges the industry to focus on developing genuinely useful applications instead of maintaining a facade of prosperity through indiscriminate payments.