Catenaa, Friday, July 11, 2025- Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin introduced a new concept called “pluralistic identity” designed to protect user privacy while enabling fair participation in digital ecosystems.
In a blog post Sunday, Buterin highlighted risks of rigid digital ID systems that enforce a single identity per person, which can undermine pseudonymity and increase surveillance risks.
Buterin praised zero-knowledge (ZK) proof-wrapped IDs for allowing users to verify identity without revealing personal data, citing projects like World ID and government digital ID initiatives in Taiwan and the EU.
However, he warned that enforcing one ID per person can lead to centralized tracking and coercion.
“Pseudonymity generally requires multiple accounts,” Buterin said, warning that forcing users into a single public ID could expose them to government or employer oversight. He also dismissed “proof of wealth” as an exclusionary anti-Sybil approach that favors the wealthy.
As a solution, Buterin proposed pluralistic identity systems where no single authority controls identity issuance.
These could use social-graph verification or multiple ID providers, ensuring no single ID dominates the market. This approach increases tolerance for errors and aids individuals without traditional IDs.
Buterin called for merging one-per-person schemes with social-graph systems to build diverse, global digital identity networks, balancing privacy, inclusivity, and abuse resistance.
