Vitalik Buterin Calls for Trustworthy Hardware and Stronger Digital Privacy

Speaking at Devcon 8, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin called for greater trust in hardware and stronger privacy protections across digital technologies.
“Not your silicon, not your life,” he said, emphasizing the importance of controlling and verifying the devices people rely on for their communications, health data, personal information, and AI applications.
Buterin advocated for open-source software, inspectable hardware, formal verification, and cryptographic proofs to reduce dependence on blind trust in companies and public figures.
He also argued that personal data should be treated as a potential liability by default, reinforcing the idea that Ethereum’s broader mission extends beyond finance to building technology that people can independently verify and use safely.