Vitalik Buterin Unveils Plan to Make Ethereum Privacy-Friendly
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin just proposed a major shift in how the blockchain handles privacy.
In a blog post published April 11, Buterin laid out a framework to make Ethereum’s Layer-1 more privacy-focused—without changing the network’s core infrastructure. His vision is to turn privacy into a standard, not an option.
Buterin’s roadmap targets four main areas:
- Private on-chain payments
- Hidden user actions within decentralized apps
- Obscured read-access activity
- Anonymized network-level data
If successful, these steps could make ETH more secure against both surveillance and infrastructure-based attacks.
How It Would Work
Buterin suggests adding tools like Railgun directly into Ethereum wallets. Users would manage shielded balances from the start—no extra privacy wallet required.
“There should be a ‘send from shielded balance’ option, ideally turned on by default,” he wrote. “It should feel natural, like any other wallet feature.”
He also recommends assigning a different Ethereum address for each decentralized application. While that adds complexity, it helps prevent platforms from linking your activity across dApps.
To make it work, self-transactions would also need to maintain privacy automatically.
Technical Changes and Future Upgrades
Buterin’s plan includes several behind-the-scenes improvements:
- Using TEE-based RPC privacy for now
- Later switching to private information retrieval (PIR)
- Connecting each dApp to a unique RPC node
- Supporting privacy-enhanced keystore wallets
- Improving proof aggregation for better efficiency
He believes these upgrades complement Ethereum’s ongoing work in cross-chain functionality, where users already juggle separate environments.
Why It Matters
This roadmap marks a step toward an Ethereum that protects user privacy by default. Buterin argues that even if dApp activity stays visible, decoupling a user’s identity across platforms adds a crucial layer of protection.
As concerns over blockchain surveillance grow, Buterin’s proposal could redefine how developers think about security and user control.
Kosta Gushterov
Reporter at Coindoo
Kosta has been a part of the team since 2021 and has solidified his position with a thirst for knowledge, incredible dedication to his work and a "detective-like" mindset. He not only covers a wide range of trending topics, he also creates reviews, PR articles and educational content. His work has also been referenced by other news outlets.
