Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin praised the recent decision by messaging platform Signal to allow account creation without linking a phone number. According to Buterin, this update mitigates reliance on telecom operators, reduces vulnerability to SIM-swapping attacks, and makes it harder for governments to pressure the app to restrict users based on their geographic location.
Very welcome recent news from Signal: they are working on letting you register an account without a phone number.https://t.co/W8GGKCbONq
That said, an important counterpoint about what this would and would not accomplish.
The good #1: reducing dependence on phone numbers.…
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) August 7, 2026
However, the developer warned that this measure does not solve the structural challenges of digital privacy. Buterin noted that pseudonymous identities remain vulnerable due to metadata analysis and advanced artificial intelligence tools that can connect digital activity to real people. In this regard, he argued that the only solid standard is message-by-message unlinkability, preventing third parties from knowing the identities of the sender and receiver.
This stance aligns with academic studies demonstrating how usage patterns reveal real identities. For the crypto community and the digital asset market, Buterin’s position underscores the urgency of developing truly decentralized and unbreakable privacy solutions.
Source: https://x.com/VitalikButerin/status/2085711515152527400
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