Vitalik Buterin stressed that privacy must transition from being an optional feature to a default that reduces data leaks by design

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Buterin also warned against superficial fixes in privacy and governance. From governance models that auction off votes to identity systems where zero-knowledge proofs fail to protect users under coercion, he argued for a more holistic and rigorous approach. “Think of privacy as a feature to add, instead of thinking it as a bug to reduce,” he said.

Even identity and privacy solutions came under his critical eye. Zero-knowledge proofs, he noted, can backfire if users still reveal their entire transaction history when they sign in with centralized providers. Privacy, he added, must flip from being treated as an optional feature to something that reduces data leaks by default.