Vitalik Says Ethereum Must Become Sanctuary Tech to Protect Human Freedom

Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin has urged the crypto community to expand the network’s role beyond financial applications. He emphasized that Ethereum should support privacy tools, decentralized coordination systems, and open technologies resilient to corporate or government control.

In a detailed post on X, Buterin emphasized that Ethereum has played a limited role in improving people’s lives. “Financial freedom and security is critical,” Buterin wrote. “But it would leave the bulk of our deep worries about the world unaddressed.” He stressed the importance of creating open-source technologies that empower users while protecting privacy, self-sovereignty, and digital security. 

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As a result, he called on developers to view Ethereum as part of a larger ecosystem that builds what he termed “sanctuary technologies”—digital spaces resistant to outside pressures and control.

A full-stack approach to user empowerment

Buterin explained that Ethereum should help people work and collaborate safely online using tools like digital money, shared accounts (multisigs), and governance systems. He also wants developers to build a complete ecosystem that includes wallets, apps, hardware, operating systems, and even physical security tools. 

The goal is to give both individuals and organizations real control over their privacy and freedom. Beyond finance, he pointed to projects like locally-run AI models, Starlink, Signal, and Community Notes as examples of technologies that can help people live more freely—and that Ethereum could support alongside its own tools.

Backing privacy and software freedom

Apart from technical development, Buterin’s personal contributions to the system include withdrawing 16,384 ETH to support open, secure, and verifiable technology. 

In addition, Buterin has publicly defended Roman Storm, the developer of the privacy protocol Tornado Cash. Storm was involved in a legal case for developing the protocol. Buterin stood up for software freedom and privacy rights, and praised Storm for creating tools that let people make anonymous payments, like donations and software purchases, showing they have real-world value.

In his latest post, Buterin also stressed that Ethereum is not meant to become a force of domination in the world of technology, as Apple and Google have become. He wants it to become a “shared digital space with no owner,” where applications are built for people who actually need them. This way, Ethereum can move beyond finance and reach its potential without losing control, security, and privacy for its users.

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