Digital privacy is becoming harder to protect as our online lives grow bigger and more exposed. Many people now realise that keeping conversations private is not just for “tech people”; it’s something everyone needs. Let’s break it down.
Digital privacy matters to you, so the tools that protect it need real support.
A Big Boost for Privacy Tools
Vitalik Buterin recently donated 128 ETH each to two projects working on stronger, decentralised messaging: Session and SimpleX. These apps are like Signal but offer more privacy. Their donation addresses are on their official sites, if you’re curious to see for yourself.
One of the biggest goals in privacy-focused messaging is to make it permissionless. Anyone can create an account without linking a phone number or an email address. There will be no personal data associated with the account, only a private identity.
Vitalik Buterin said end-to-end encrypted messaging is critical for protecting digital privacy, adding that the next key steps for the space are permissionless account creation and metadata privacy. He noted that Session and SimpleX are pushing these directions forward and…
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) November 26, 2025
The second major goal of these apps is to ensure metadata privacy. Most apps hide your messages, but they still track who you talk to, when you chat, and how often you chat. That kind of metadata gives away more than people realise. Both Session and SimpleX are trying to drop that visibility entirely.
Both apps are working toward a world where messages move across decentralised networks instead of centralised servers. Decentralisation is not easy, but it makes basic things like syncing your messages across devices much harder to build. It also subjects users to spam, Sybil attacks, and denial-of-service problems. Protecting digital privacy without requiring everyone to link a phone number is one of the toughest challenges today.
Why Vitalik’s Support Matters
Vitalik does not claim that these apps are perfect. In fact, he acknowledges that they still have significant improvements to make to the user experience and security. These projects need more eyes, more builders, and more users so they can grow into tools that protect everyone’s digital privacy.
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
Digital privacy is becoming a foundation for how we connect online, and the work Session and SimpleX are doing is pushing that foundation forward. Vitalik’s donations highlight the importance of this mission. If you care about digital privacy and want a more secure internet, try downloading these apps and see things for yourself.