Vitalik Buterin Contributes 256 ETH to Enhance Next-Generation Encrypted Messaging

Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, emphasized the importance of end-to-end encrypted messaging for safeguarding digital privacy. He identified permissionless account creation and metadata privacy as key upcoming priorities for the sector. Buterin highlighted Session and SimpleX as two noteworthy projects focusing on these areas, revealing that he has donated 128 ETH to each initiative. In a post on X this week, he remarked that both applications are working to bolster decentralization and improve user protections without relying on phone numbers, while also tackling challenges such as multi-device support and defenses against Sybil and denial-of-service attacks. The addresses for the donations are publicly accessible on the respective project websites. Although these platforms are not flawless, they signify ongoing efforts to foster privacy-preserving communication. Buterin also encouraged more developers to engage in resolving the existing technical challenges, stating that these issues require further attention. Additionally, while Signal has become a popular choice for encrypted messaging, it has faced renewed criticism following a March incident where senior US national security officials mistakenly included a reporter in a Signal group chat discussing military operations in Yemen. This was followed by a Pentagon warning against using the app for non-public information, citing vulnerabilities associated with its linked-devices feature, including reported phishing attempts targeting users. However, Signal clarified that the concerns were related to user-centric attacks rather than flaws in its encryption. Buterin has consistently advocated for treating privacy as an essential component of digital systems. In light of a recent data breach affecting major US banks, he described privacy as a crucial aspect of digital 'hygiene.' In an essay earlier this year, he asserted that 'privacy is a critical guarantor of decentralization,' outlining a vision for Ethereum that includes stealth addresses, selective disclosure, and application-level zero-knowledge tools to minimize unnecessary data exposure. He has also raised concerns about new geo-inference systems by X, which classify user accounts by country, warning that such systems could compromise sensitive location data and pose risks to vulnerable users, even when revealing only broad geographic regions.