Crypto heads into 2026 with privacy, decentralized identity on the line

As crypto, governments and Big Tech converge on digital identity, selective disclosure and zero-knowledge proofs are emerging as a privacy-first alternative to surveillance systems.

For years, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has advocated for privacy in the crypto space. Buterin argues that onboarding users alone is not enough, cautioning that widespread use of “walled gardens” would undermine the core purpose of decentralized systems.

“The goal is not to onboard people to Ethereum. The goal is to onboard people to openness and self-sovereignty,” he recently wrote on a X post.

Buterin is one of crypto’s most prominent advocates for privacy as an industry's core value, emphasizing individual protection from state and corporate surveillance and arguing that decentralization helps disperse power away from a few dominant actors.

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