Key highlights:
- Major ETH donations fuel two rising privacy-focused messaging apps.
- Decentralized tools aim to solve metadata leaks and surveillance risks.
- Experts warn privacy tech faces regulatory threats worldwide.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has donated more than $760,000 worth of Ethereum to two fast-growing privacy-focused messaging platforms, Session and SimpleX Chat. His contribution highlights the rising urgency around digital privacy and the need for communication tools that don’t rely on traditional identifiers or centralized infrastructure.
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
Buterin said on X that encrypted messaging apps like Signal are “critical for preserving our digital privacy.” He added that the next major steps for private communication should include permissionless account creation and strong metadata protection, areas where Session and SimpleX are actively pushing boundaries. Buterin has been increasingly commenting on the subject of online privacy, as he recently warned against a new feature released by the social media platform X which reveals the geographical origin of X accounts.
Session removes common identifiers such as phone numbers and operates without central servers, reducing the amount of metadata typically exposed by mainstream apps. SimpleX Chat follows a similar philosophy: it requires no phone number, assigns no static user ID, and aims to remain virtually untraceable through decentralized message routing.
Source: SimpleX
Growing threats to privacy and regulation pressure
Interest in secure messaging has surged amid proposals such as the EU’s controversial Chat Control bill, which would force major platforms to grant authorities access to messages before they are encrypted.
European public reaction to the new Chat Control bill. Source: European Pirate Party
Buterin emphasized that strong metadata privacy requires deep decentralization, an approach that is difficult to scale, especially when users expect seamless multi-device support. Protecting networks from Sybil and denial-of-service attacks without relying on phone numbers adds further complexity. Still, he expressed confidence in the teams behind both apps and encouraged continued innovation.
Buterin’s support for Session and SimpleX Chat comes amidst a renewed wave of interest for privacy-enhancing technologies in the cryptocurrency sphere, with privacy coins like Zcash and Monero becoming a much larger part of the narrative compared to just a few months ago.
Source:: Vitalik Buterin Donates 128 ETH Each to Privacy Apps Advancing Secure Messaging