Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has revealed that he has donated approximately $760,000 in ether to two crypto messaging apps that he believes will push the boundaries of digital privacy.
Encrypted messaging apps like Signal are “critical to protecting digital privacy,” Buterin said in an X post Wednesday, adding that the next step in this space should be permissionless account creation and metadata privacy.
Decentralized messaging apps Session and SimpleX Chat are “pushing in these directions,” Buterin said, adding that he “donated 128 ETH to each” and encouraged users to try them out.
Session is designed to remove the usual identifiers and metadata that traditional messengers rely on, such as phone numbers, and there is no central server.
Additionally, SimpleX Chat does not rely on the use of phone numbers and does not assign any identifiable ID to users.
Buterin, who is estimated to have a net worth of at least $737 million based on his cryptocurrency holdings, frequently donates to projects that align with Ethereum’s values, and has also donated to numerous charities.
Crypto community needs unity to protect digital privacy
Privacy in messaging apps has been a hot topic, with measures like chat controls previously proposed by the European Union. Chat controls would force platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal to encrypt messages so that authorities can review them before sending them.
Session Technology Foundation Chairman Alexander Linton said in an interview with Cointelegraph that any show of support would be appreciated as there are still many challenges to protecting digital privacy.
“Unfortunately, regulatory and technological developments currently threaten the future of private messaging. However, the challenges facing private messaging are solvable, and I think Vitalik clearly understands the importance of decentralization in this fight.”
“Everyone working on private messaging is currently under some kind of threat from regulations like chat controls, but this type of support allows us to stay focused on our mission.”
Optimal user experience and security requires more eyes
Buterin also said that strong metadata privacy requires decentralization, and that “decentralization is hard, and when users expect multi-device support it makes everything difficult, so both apps need to continue to strive for truly optimal user experience and security.”
“Sybil/DoS resistance becomes even more challenging without forcing reliance on phone numbers, both on the message routing network and on the user side. These issues require more attention. We wish all the teams working on these important issues the best of luck.”
Related: Buterin says AI governance of cryptocurrencies is a ‘bad idea’ due to jailbreak
A Sybil attack occurs when a malicious attacker creates multiple pseudonymous identities or nodes in order to gain control or an unfair advantage within a peer-to-peer network.
Encrypted decentralized messaging needs global recognition
“It’s amazing to see so clearly that Vitalik and so many people around the world understand what real privacy is and what people need to live freely,” Session co-founder Chris McCabe told Cointelegraph.
But he also said that spreading global awareness should be an important next step for encrypted decentralized messaging.
“People aren’t aware of what’s happening to their data behind the scenes, and Session is a shining light that says, ‘Hey, you can actually have trustless privacy, and it’s here now,'” McCabe said.
“If there’s one message we can send to the world, it’s that you don’t have to be a commodity. You’re free to be who you want to be and say whatever you want. Privacy is a right and you just need to know it.”
magazine: Sunny Lu was inspired to create VeChain after being scammed out of 100 Bitcoins.
