Vitalik Buterin advocates for pluralistic IDs to protect digital privacy and fair participation.

From Cointelegraph

June 28, 2025 07:02 am:

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin introduces “pluralistic identity,” advocating for privacy and fair participation in digital life through zero-knowledge proof-wrapped IDs. Projects like World ID and Taiwan’s digital ID are adopting this technology, but Buterin warns against the risks of enforcing one ID per person, which could eliminate pseudonymity and expose users to coercion.

Buterin highlights the danger of platforms requiring a single, trackable identity, leading to government or employer surveillance and the loss of pseudonymity. He rejects using “proof of wealth” as an anti-Sybil measure, advocating for a flexible approach that allows users to maintain multiple identities. He suggests a balance between identity and cost to avoid concentration of power among the wealthy.

To address these issues, Buterin proposes pluralistic identity systems where multiple authorities issue identities to prevent monopolization. This approach, whether explicit or implicit, aims to provide flexibility, error tolerance, and inclusivity for stateless individuals or those without traditional IDs. By merging one-per-person identity schemes with social-graph systems, diverse global identity networks can be established for better privacy and resistance to abuse.

Read more at Cointelegraph: Vitalik Pushes Pluralistic IDs for Digital Privacy