Vitalik Buterin designed Ethereum to tackle several issues present in traditional web infrastructure, such as the lack of transparency, conflicts of interest, siloed infrastructure, and concentrated controls.
To address these challenges, Ethereum was designed to have several core features:
Permissionless Access: Anyone with an internet connection can interact with the Ethereum network without needing intermediaries, allowing for simple participation, globally
Open Source: Ethereum's code is open for anyone to view, audit, and contribute — allowing any developer to identify bugs or suggest improvements to the system
Composability: Ethereum's flexibility and common infrastructure allows developers to build applications that seamlessly connect or interoperate with one another
Distributed Network: Ethereum is run on thousands of privately owned computers. The distributed structure eliminates single points of failure, results in high uptime, and generally makes the network more resilient
These features make Ethereum a compelling platform for building accessible, transparent, and reliable applications, challenging the black box norms of the traditional web.