Vitalik Buterin Advocates for Enhanced Computing Self-Sovereignty by 2026

Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin has declared 2026 as the year to reclaim computing self-sovereignty, beginning with his own devices. According to Cointelegraph, Buterin outlined the software changes he implemented to reduce dependency on centralized, data-intensive platforms. In a post on X, he highlighted two significant software shifts made in 2025: transitioning almost entirely to Fileverse, a decentralized document platform akin to a privacy-focused Google Docs, and decisively adopting Signal as his primary messaging application. Signal is known for its default end-to-end encryption for all chats and minimal metadata storage, contrasting with Telegram, which only offers optional end-to-end encryption in "secret chats" and retains messages and metadata on its servers. This model has faced scrutiny amid rising law enforcement data requests in countries like France. In 2026, Buterin has further distanced himself from centralized services by switching from Google Maps to OpenStreetMap via OrganicMaps and from Gmail to Proton Mail, while also prioritizing decentralized social media. He has explored locally hosting large language models, arguing against the necessity of sending data to third-party services when users can increasingly run AI tools on their own hardware. Although he acknowledges the need for improved user interfaces, integrations, and efficiency to make local models a seamless default, he notes significant progress compared to a year ago. Buterin's stance aligns with privacy advocate and NBTV founder Naomi Brockwell, who has long promoted privacy-enhancing practices. Brockwell emphasizes that privacy is about autonomy rather than secrecy, advocating for tools like Bitcoin, encrypted messengers, and self-hosted services to mitigate government and corporate surveillance. Buterin's post coincides with ongoing debates over governmental and platform access to private communications and metadata. The European Union's controversial Chat Control proposal, which initially included pre-encryption message scanning to detect abusive content, has sparked warnings from civil liberties groups and technologists about the potential erosion of trust in encrypted applications. According to Buterin and other privacy advocates, progressively replacing everyday apps with encrypted, open-source, and local alternatives is a viable strategy for users to regain control over their data flows.