Project Mirror examined perceptions of Ethereum through more than 60 interviews with developers, researchers, investors and community participants, according to Blockworks’ September 30, 2025 account of the research.
The report was produced by WE3 with support from Optimism and Espresso Systems and shared by the Ethereum Foundation. It explored tensions around the network’s identity, priorities and communication.
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What interviews can reveal
Participants expressed differing views of Ethereum’s purpose, from long-term technical and social ambitions to immediate demands for usability and market relevance. Such interviews can identify disagreements that a price chart cannot explain.
They are not equivalent to a representative survey of all Ethereum users. The findings should be read in the context of the people selected and the questions asked.
No demonstrated price causation
The previous headline implied that the study established how strongly psychology drives Ethereum. The evidence described here does not quantify a causal relationship between community attitudes and ETH’s price.
A useful distinction is between perceptions of the network and measurable changes in its operation. For technical and historical background, read our Ethereum guide.
Editor’s note: The headline no longer presents qualitative interview findings as proof of price causation. Unverified researcher attribution and quotations have been removed.