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Ethereum (ETH) co-founder Vitalik Buterin announced on the 26th that he has donated a total of 256 ETH—128 ETH each—to the privacy-first messaging apps Session and SimpleX Chat.
Encrypted messaging, like @signalapp, is critical for preserving our digital privacy. Two important next steps for the space are (i) permissionless account creation and (ii) metadata privacy.@session_app and @SimpleXChat are two messaging apps pushing these directions forward.…
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) November 26, 2025
In a post on X, Buterin emphasized that encrypted communication tools are essential for protecting digital privacy, especially as global concerns about surveillance continue to grow.
He highlighted permissionless account creation and robust metadata privacy as the next major milestones for secure communication technology, noting that both supported applications are actively pushing innovation in these areas.
Buterin’s Continued Support for Privacy Technology
The latest donation underscores Buterin’s strong and consistent backing for decentralized communication systems that do not rely on phone numbers or centralized identifiers.
Earlier, Buterin donated 1,009 ETH to the privacy protocol Railgun, reinforcing his commitment to supporting privacy-enhancing technologies.
His stance comes amid heightened scrutiny from regulators, including debates surrounding restrictive measures such as the EU’s proposed “chat regulation bill,” which has raised concerns about potential mass surveillance of private messages.
Buterin has expressed alarm over these developments and has increasingly focused on supporting decentralized, privacy-preserving infrastructure across the blockchain ecosystem.
On the 26th, Buterin also participated in technical discussions about optimizing Ethereum’s gas limit, demonstrating his ongoing involvement in building a more secure and private blockchain environment.
Meanwhile, the Bitcoin (BTC) developer community is also seeing active debate around integrating stronger privacy features into its network.
Challenges and Future of Decentralized Messaging Apps
Despite his support, Buterin noted that the apps receiving donations are “not yet ideal finished products.” He pointed to several challenges surrounding usability and security. Key issues include:
- Balancing decentralization with multi-device support
- Improving resilience against Sybil and DoS attacks
- Establishing identity systems that do not rely on phone numbers
- Enhancing privacy without sacrificing convenience
While projects like Worldcoin explore digital identity solutions, the broader challenge of achieving both privacy and ease of use in decentralized messaging remains unresolved.
Buterin stressed that these technical hurdles continue to slow mainstream adoption but reiterated his support for any team working to advance privacy-focused communication. He emphasized that improving these systems is critical to the growth and health of the broader Web3 and digital rights ecosystem.
