Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has called for open-source, verifiable infrastructure across critical sectors like healthcare, finance and governance, warning that centralized systems risk eroding trust and security.
In a Wednesday blog post, Buterin argued that as digital infrastructure becomes embedded in everyday life, relying on closed, opaque systems increases the danger of abuse and monopolization.
“The civilizations that gained the most from new waves of technology are not the ones who consumed the technology, but the ones who produced it,” Buterin wrote, adding that “openness and verifiability can fight against global balkanization.”
Buterin said he envisions a world where verifiable devices form the backbone of global systems. “By default, we will likely get digital computer things that are built and run by centralized corporations,” he warned. “But we can try to steer toward a better alternative.”
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Open, verifiable tech for health, finance, voting
Buterin said proprietary health tech can limit access, create data monopolies and expose users to surveillance risks. He pointed to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout as an example of how closed manufacturing and communication systems undermined public trust. In contrast, he praised initiatives like PopVax, which use open processes to reduce both costs and skepticism.
COVID-19 vaccine coverage, 2021–23. Source: Vitalik
The same concerns apply to finance. Buterin noted the sharp contrast between the five seconds it took him to sign a crypto transaction and the half-hour, $119 ordeal required to ship a signed legal form overseas. “Crypto wallets and blockchain-based systems already show how open, verifiable infrastructure can cut through inefficiency,” he said.
He also called for building secure, open hardware and software for critical public systems, especially voting. Drawing from decades of skepticism around electronic voting machines, Buterin emphasized that proprietary “black box” software cannot deliver public trust.
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Buterin advocates for privacy
Buterin has been a vocal advocate of privacy. In April, he said privacy must be a core design goal, arguing that blind faith in transparency and benevolent leadership is outdated. He claimed there was “no single major country for which the first assumption is broadly agreed to be true.”
Buterin also unveiled a privacy roadmap for Ethereum. In it, he highlighted the short-term changes to the base protocol and ecosystem needed to ensure better user privacy.
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