Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, is looking for open source, verifiable infrastructure across key sectors such as healthcare, finance and governance.
In a blog post Wednesday, Buterin argued that once digital infrastructure is incorporated into everyday life, opaque systems that shut down increase the risk of abuse and monopoly.
“The most civilizations out of the wave of new technology are not the ones who consumed it, they are not the ones who created it,” wrote Buterin, adding that “openness and verifiability can fight global Vulcanization.”
Buterin said it envisions a world in which verifiable devices form the backbone of global systems. “By default, you’ll get one that’s a digital computer that’s built and operated by a centralized company,” he warned. “But we can try and run towards a better alternative.”
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Open, verifiable technology for health, finance and voting
Buterin said its proprietary health technology can restrict access, create data monopolies, and put users at monitoring risk. He pointed to the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines as an example of how closed manufacturing and communications systems undermine public trust. In contrast, he praised initiatives like Popvax. Popvax used an open process to reduce both cost and skepticism.
Covid-19 Vaccine Coverage, 2021–23. Source: Vitalik
The same concern applies to finance. Buterin noted the sharp contrast between the five seconds it took to sign a Crypto deal and the $119/30 ordeal required to ship a signed legal form overseas. “Crypto wallets and blockchain-based systems already show how open and verifiable infrastructure can reduce inefficiencies,” he said.
He also called for the construction of critical public systems, especially secure open hardware and software for voting. Drawings from decades of skepticism about electronic voting machines emphasized that their own “black box” software cannot bring public trust.
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Butarin advocates privacy
Buterin is an advocate for the voice 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he said privacy must be a core design goal, arguing that blind faith in transparency and benevolent leadership is outdated.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 argued that “there is no single major state where the initial assumption is widely agreed to be true.”
Buterin has also announced Ethereum’s privacy roadmap. In it, he highlighted the short-term changes to the basic protocols and ecosystem needed to ensure better user privacy.
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