Vitalik explains the 2026 privacy computing roadmap: from decentralized applications to the upgrade path of zero-knowledge proofs

ZkSnarker · 2026-01-23T02:58:16+00:00

Ethereum founder Vitalik emphasizes 2026 as a pivotal year for personal computing sovereignty, advocating the use of decentralized tools to prevent data leaks. He suggests combining multiple privacy technologies to address the challenges of deploying large language models locally, reflecting the Web3 community's dedication to privacy protection and a redefinition of data sovereignty.

ZkSnarker

2026-01-23 02:58:16

Abstract generation in progress

【Blockchain Rhythm】Ethereum founder Vitalik recently shared some thoughts on computational sovereignty. He straightforwardly stated that 2026 will be a key year for regaining personal computational autonomy, with the core being to stop leaking data to centralized services.

Speaking of this shift, Vitalik has already taken the lead. Last year, he gradually switched to encrypted document tools like Fileverse, and messaging apps were replaced with decentralized open-source solutions such as Signal, Simplex, and Session. This year, he plans to further embrace OpenStreetMap and ProtonMail, while migrating to decentralized social platforms, with the goal of completely sealing off leaks of location and communication data.

However, Vitalik also candidly admitted that deploying large language models (LLMs) locally still faces many pain points. His proposed solution is to combine multiple privacy technologies—zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP), trusted execution environments (TEE), and fully homomorphic encryption (FHE)—to work together, enabling truly efficient and private computing in the future.

This approach reflects the Web3 community’s dedication to privacy protection—not only through technological innovation but also through a redefinition of personal data sovereignty.

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BearMarketLightning

· 11h ago

It should have been like this a long time ago, but really, there are so few people who can actually do it. --- With Vitalik's combination of moves, the privacy cost is really a bit high. --- Sounds good in theory, but who would really switch every application? I'm too lazy anyway haha. --- 2026? I feel like we should start messing around now, don't wait. --- ProtonMail has already been adopted, others are indeed still under evaluation. --- The local LLM is indeed a bottleneck; computing power simply can't keep up.

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AirdropNinja

· 11h ago

I think Vitalik's set of moves is really fierce, switching comprehensively from documentation to communication, but to be honest, deploying LLM locally is still really tough to handle.

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StableNomad

· 12h ago

honestly? vitalik switching to protonmail in 2026 reminds me of when everyone said UST was "theoretically stable"... the infrastructure just isn't there yet and we're all pretending it is

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MemeEchoer

· 12h ago

Vitalik's move is indeed brilliant, but to be honest, the local deployment of LLM still needs to wait. The current experience is quite disappointing.

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AirdropHunter420

· 12h ago

Vitalik's setup is really impressive, but I want to ask, can ordinary people really keep up... Setting up Signal + ProtonMail + decentralized applications can be a bit exhausting.

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SmartContractDiver

· 12h ago

Vitalik is really a textbook example of saying one thing and doing another. He uses decentralized tools himself but still tinkers on Ethereum. Isn't that inconsistent? He said a lot of words, but when it comes to LLMs, we still have to rely on centralized solutions as a fallback. The road to privacy computing is still long. 2026? Feels like the same as when they said "Ethereum 2.0 will come next year"—another missed deadline? Tools like Signal and ProtonMail are good, but the user experience is really terrible. Can Vitalik tolerate this? Wait, he said stopping data leaks is a good idea, but ordinary people can't even install a privacy tool. That's a statement aimed at the elites. Basically, he's saying that even the big crypto guys can only use these imperfect solutions. What about us?

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