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Buterin Warns ZK-Wrapped IDs Aren’t Enough, Advocates ‘Pluralistic Identity’ for True Privacy
- One-ID systems reduce online pseudonymity and personal safety.
- Coercion risks make privacy fragile, even with ZK tech.
- Technical flaws affect accessibility for excluded or vulnerable users.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has raised some important concerns about digital identity systems, especially those that stick with a one-identity-per-person approach. In a blog post on 28 June, Buterin argues that even systems wrapped in zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs can compromise user privacy and fail to uphold the principle of least privilege.
Projects like World ID (formerly known as Worldcoin), which recently reached 10 million users, aim to verify personhood without exposing personal data using biometrics and ZK proofs.
Under one-per-person ID, even if ZK-wrapped, we risk coming closer to a world where all of your activity must de-facto be under a single public identity.
Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum Co-Founder Related: Buterin’s Node Vision Fuels Ethereum’s Rally as Investment Products Pull $785M
The Limits of One-ID Systems
Buterin warns that this approach can lead to the reduction of online pseudonymity. Many users often need multiple accounts to maintain distinct digital personas, a functionality that such single-identity systems inherently prevent.
Beyond this, he noted the risk of coercion, where governments or employers could force users to reveal their linked identities, undermining the protections offered by ZK technology. He also highlighted non-privacy risks such as ID errors, exclusion of stateless individuals, and biometric spoofing.
Buterin further warns that if any single identity system gains near-universal market share, it could become a de facto login requirement, threatening user choice and privacy. In response, he proposes a “pluralistic identity” framework as the “best realistic solution” to balance authentication with privacy.
This model encourages a decentralised ecosystem of identity providers, including explicit systems like social-graph-based verification and implicit systems that mix government IDs, social logins, and biometrics. According to Buterin, such diversity strengthens error tolerance, preserves pseudonymity, and prevents any one system from becoming a universal gatekeeper.
Related: Worldcoin Launches in the US, Offering Free Crypto for Eyeball Scans
Author
Rachel Lourdesamy
Rachel is a freelance writer based in Sydney with experience within financial services, marketing, and corporate communications in the APAC region. An avid reader and a graduate of the University of Sydney, she covers topics including business, finance and human interest.
