Vitalik Buterin donates 256 ETH to support private chat apps: Digital Privacy is on the Rise!

Jakarta, Pintu News – Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum and a central figure in the blockchain world, has once again shown his commitment to digital privacy issues. He donated 256 ETH (worth more than $768,000) to two encrypted messaging apps that focus on decentralization and metadata protection: Session and SimpleX Chat.

This donation is not only a financial support, but also a strong signal that in an increasingly connected and monitored world, private and secure communication is a fundamental right that must be safeguarded.

Why is this donation important?

In the digital age, many messaging apps claim to be secure, but still collect user metadata-such aswho talked to whom, when, and for how long. Even when the content of messages is encrypted, metadata can be used to track a person’s social activities and relationships.

Vitalik highlighted two key challenges that the new generation of messaging apps need to solve:

1. Permissionless Account Creation
   Users should be able to create accounts without providing personal information, such as phone numbers or emails. This is important so that anyone, anywhere, can access communications without discrimination.
2. Metadata Privacy
   It’s not just the content of the message that needs to be encrypted, but also the digital footprint-such as thedelivery time, IP address, and relationship between users-should be hidden from third parties.

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Two Chat Platforms Receiving Vitalik’s Donation

1. Session

Session is an encrypted messaging application built on the Signal protocol, but without phone numbers and with a decentralized network infrastructure.

Key Features:

• No phone number/email – users register with a random Session ID.
• End-to-end encryption – all messages are inaccessible to anyone other than the sender and receiver.
• Standing on top of Lokinet, a Tor-like anonymization network.
• Supports group chat, file sharing, and voicemail.

Session is suitable for users who want to avoid tracking and maintain anonymity, especially in countries with strict internet censorship.

🔗 https://getsession.org

2. SimpleX Chat

Unlike other apps, SimpleX does not use a central server to manage contact lists or messages. All communication is ephemeral and delivered over a fully encrypted channel.

Key Features:

• No central server – anonymous peer-to-peer architecture.
• No fixed identity – does not store user info on the server side.
• Ephemeral encryption – messages cannot be stored or recorded.
• Supports multi-device and anonymous group chat.

SimpleX redefines encrypted communication with a stateless, serverless, and private-by-default approach .

🔗 https://simplex.chat

Broader Implications: Privacy, Decentralization, and the Future of Communications

Vitalik’s donation signifies that private communication is the basic infrastructure of Web3. As more and more digital activities-such as crypto wallets, DAOs, and social platforms-move to on-chain, secure and anonymous communication becomes increasingly important.

Platforms like Session and SimpleX address this void with an open-source, transparent and community-driven approach.

Vitalik also recognizes the big challenges facing chat app developers, such as:

• Multi-device compatibility
• Scalability without compromising decentralization
• Resistance to network attacks
• User experience that remains intuitive

Conclusion

Amid the wave of Web3 innovation, digital privacy is not just an added feature-it’s a foundation. Vitalik Buterin’s donations to Session and SimpleX Chat confirm that secure private communication is a critical need, not a luxury.

With this kind of technology, the future of communication can be more free, private, and open-just like the original spirit of the internet that we aspire to.

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FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

How much did Vitalik Buterin donate?

256 ETH: 128 ETH each for Session and SimpleX Chat.

Why is Vitalik supporting this project?

To accelerate the development of personalized communication applications:

• No personal data required
• Protecting metadata
• Decentralized and sensor-resistant

Are Session and SimpleX open-source?

Yes. Both have open source code on GitHub and support auditing by the community.

Is it safe for use by the general public?

Relatively safe. However, it is still recommended that users understand the limitations of the technology, including digital security practices (e.g. not sharing sessions, not using malware-infected devices, etc.).

What is the difference between Session and Signal?

Session does not require a phone number or email, and uses the Lokinet network, while Signal requires a phone number and relies on a central server to send messages.

Reference

• Bitcoin.com News – Vitalik Buterin Supports Privacy-Focused Messaging Platforms. Accessed on November 27, 2025