Vitalik Buterin Donates Nearly $800,000 in Crypto to Support Privacy Messengers
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has made two substantial donations totaling almost $800,000 to support the development of privacy-focused messaging platforms. Each project — Session and SimpleX — received 128 ETH, reflecting Buterin’s growing commitment to secure, decentralized communication tools.The contributions highlight his long-standing stance that privacy is not optional but a critical requirement for modern digital interaction. By backing independent messenger teams directly, Buterin aims to accelerate technologies that reduce dependence on centralized servers and minimize the exposure of sensitive metadata.
Buterin emphasizes privacy, decentralization and user sovereignty
In his statement accompanying the donation, Buterin stressed the importance of communication systems that do not require account approval from a central authority. He noted that anonymity, metadata protection and censorship resistance are fundamental for user safety in an increasingly interconnected world.Both Session and SimpleX utilize architectures designed to eliminate or drastically reduce data collection. Session routes messages through decentralized infrastructure, while SimpleX focuses on metadata-free communication, ensuring no central provider can track interactions or contact graphs.
Why these projects matter for the privacy ecosystem
The donation arrives during a period of growing public concern surrounding surveillance, data harvesting and algorithmic profiling. Privacy messengers have become essential tools for journalists, activists, developers and everyday users seeking greater autonomy over their digital lives.By funding open-source teams directly, Buterin aims to strengthen the sustainability of privacy-first innovations that often lack traditional monetization paths. The projects he supports operate without advertising, invasive analytics or corporate tracking systems, relying instead on community backing and grants.
A call to support privacy tools globally
Beyond the donation itself, Buterin urged users worldwide to support privacy-preserving messengers by adopting them in daily communication. He emphasized that privacy tools only achieve their full societal impact when they reach widespread real-world use rather than remaining niche technologies for security specialists.His message reinforces a broader trend within the Ethereum and Web3 communities: promoting decentralized, user-controlled infrastructure not just for finance but for communication, identity and everyday digital interaction. The donation signals that privacy remains a core priority in the next stage of decentralized technology development.
Editorial Team — CoinBotLab