The Curious Engineer

All blogs / Crypto / fintech

Vitalik Buterin's website

vitalik.eth.limo

Crypto / fintechMathSecurity

’00’05’10’15’20’25
Posts
336 from 1 Jan 2000 to 31 Oct 2026
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monthly (21 in the last year)
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personal blog
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2026 13

  1. Digital minimalism
  2. The cryptographic world computer
  3. The cryptographic world computer
  4. Obfuscation (Part III): Local Mixing
  5. Obfuscation (Part III): Local Mixing
  6. Obfuscation (Part II): Diamond iO
  7. Obfuscation (Part II): Diamond iO
  8. Obfuscation: building the final boss of cryptography (Part I)
  9. Obfuscation: building the final boss of cryptography (Part I)
  10. A shallow dive into formal verification
  11. A shallow dive into formal verification
  12. My self-sovereign / local / private / secure LLM setup, April 2026
  13. My self-sovereign / local / private / secure LLM setup, April 2026

2025 45

  1. Balance of power
  2. Balance of power
  3. Let a thousand societies bloom
  4. Let a thousand societies bloom
  5. Plinko PIR tutorial
  6. Plinko PIR tutorial
  7. Galaxy brain resistance
  8. Galaxy brain resistance
  9. A GKR Tutorial
  10. A GKR Tutorial
  11. Memory access is O(N^[1/3])
  12. Memory access is O(N^[1/3])
  13. The importance of full-stack openness and verifiability
  14. The importance of full-stack openness and verifiability
  15. Low-risk defi can be for Ethereum what search was for Google
  16. Low-risk defi can be for Ethereum what search was for Google
  17. On idea-driven ideas
  18. "I support it only if it's open source" should be a more common viewpoint
  19. On idea-driven ideas
  20. "I support it only if it's open source" should be a more common viewpoint
  21. My response to AI 2027
  22. My response to AI 2027
  23. Why I used to prefer permissive licenses and now favor copyleft
  24. Why I used to prefer permissive licenses and now favor copyleft
  25. Does digital ID have risks even if it's ZK-wrapped?
  26. Does digital ID have risks even if it's ZK-wrapped?
  27. A simple explanation of a/(b+c) + b/(c+a) + c/(a+b) = 4
  28. A simple explanation of a/(b+c) + b/(c+a) + c/(a+b) = 4
  29. The math of when stage 1 and stage 2 make sense
  30. The math of when stage 1 and stage 2 make sense
  31. Simplifying the L1
  32. Simplifying the L1
  33. Why I support privacy
  34. We should talk less about public goods funding and more about open source funding
  35. The tree ring model of culture and politics
  36. We should talk less about public goods funding and more about open source funding
  37. The tree ring model of culture and politics
  38. AI as the engine, humans as the steering wheel
  39. AI as the engine, humans as the steering wheel
  40. Reasons to have higher L1 gas limits even in an L2-heavy Ethereum
  41. Reasons to have higher L1 gas limits even in an L2-heavy Ethereum
  42. Scaling Ethereum L1 and L2s in 2025 and beyond
  43. Scaling Ethereum L1 and L2s in 2025 and beyond
  44. d/acc: one year later
  45. d/acc: one year later

2024 54

  1. What I would love to see in a wallet
  2. What I would love to see in a wallet
  3. From prediction markets to info finance
  4. From prediction markets to info finance
  5. Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 6: The Splurge
  6. Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 6: The Splurge
  7. Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 5: The Purge
  8. Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 5: The Purge
  9. Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 4: The Verge
  10. Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 4: The Verge
  11. Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 3: The Scourge
  12. Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 3: The Scourge
  13. Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 2: The Surge
  14. Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 2: The Surge
  15. Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 1: The Merge
  16. Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 1: The Merge
  17. Making Ethereum alignment legible
  18. Making Ethereum alignment legible
  19. Glue and coprocessor architectures
  20. Glue and coprocessor architectures
  21. Plurality philosophy in an incredibly oversized nutshell
  22. Plurality philosophy in an incredibly oversized nutshell
  23. Review: museums of the future, Dubai and Tokyo
  24. Review: museums of the future, Dubai and Tokyo
  25. Exploring circle STARKs
  26. Exploring circle STARKs
  27. Against choosing your political allegiances based on who is "pro-crypto"
  28. Against choosing your political allegiances based on who is "pro-crypto"
  29. Epochs and slots all the way down: ways to give Ethereum users faster transaction confirmation times
  30. Epochs and slots all the way down: ways to give Ethereum users faster transaction confirmation times
  31. Some reflections on the Bitcoin block size war
  32. Some reflections on the Bitcoin block size war
  33. Layer 2s as cultural extensions of Ethereum
  34. Layer 2s as cultural extensions of Ethereum
  35. How do layer 2s really differ from execution sharding?
  36. How do layer 2s really differ from execution sharding?
  37. The near and mid-term future of improving the Ethereum network's permissionlessness and decentralization
  38. The near and mid-term future of improving the Ethereum network's permissionlessness and decentralization
  39. Multidimensional gas pricing
  40. Multidimensional gas pricing
  41. Binius: highly efficient proofs over binary fields
  42. Binius: highly efficient proofs over binary fields
  43. Degen communism: the only correct political ideology
  44. Degen communism: the only correct political ideology
  45. What else could memecoins be?
  46. What else could memecoins be?
  47. Ethereum has blobs. Where do we go from here?
  48. Ethereum has blobs. Where do we go from here?
  49. Ask security questions
  50. Ask security questions
  51. The end of my childhood
  52. The end of my childhood
  53. The promise and challenges of crypto + AI applications
  54. The promise and challenges of crypto + AI applications

2023 28

  1. Make Ethereum Cypherpunk Again
  2. Make Ethereum Cypherpunk Again
  3. My techno-optimism
  4. My techno-optimism
  5. Exit games for EVM validiums: the return of Plasma
  6. Exit games for EVM validiums: the return of Plasma
  7. Different types of layer 2s
  8. Different types of layer 2s
  9. Should Ethereum be okay with enshrining more things in the protocol?
  10. Should Ethereum be okay with enshrining more things in the protocol?
  11. What do I think about Community Notes?
  12. What do I think about Community Notes?
  13. What do I think about biometric proof of personhood?
  14. What do I think about biometric proof of personhood?
  15. Deeper dive on cross-L2 reading for wallets and other use cases
  16. Deeper dive on cross-L2 reading for wallets and other use cases
  17. The Three Transitions
  18. The Three Transitions
  19. Don't overload Ethereum's consensus
  20. Don't overload Ethereum's consensus
  21. Travel time ~= 750 * distance ^ 0.6
  22. Travel time ~= 750 * distance ^ 0.6
  23. How will Ethereum's multi-client philosophy interact with ZK-EVMs?
  24. How will Ethereum's multi-client philosophy interact with ZK-EVMs?
  25. Some personal user experiences
  26. Some personal user experiences
  27. An incomplete guide to stealth addresses
  28. An incomplete guide to stealth addresses

2022 43

  1. What even is an institution?
  2. What even is an institution?
  3. Updating my blog: a quick GPT chatbot coding experiment
  4. Updating my blog: a quick GPT chatbot coding experiment
  5. What in the Ethereum application ecosystem excites me
  6. What in the Ethereum application ecosystem excites me
  7. Having a safe CEX: proof of solvency and beyond
  8. Having a safe CEX: proof of solvency and beyond
  9. The Revenue-Evil Curve: a different way to think about prioritizing public goods funding
  10. 我在加密世界的一些个人体验
  11. 收入-邪恶曲线：思考“公共物品融资优先”的另一种方式
  12. The Revenue-Evil Curve: a different way to think about prioritizing public goods funding
  13. DAOs are not corporations: where decentralization in autonomous organizations matters
  14. DAOs are not corporations: where decentralization in autonomous organizations matters
  15. What kind of layer 3s make sense?
  16. What kind of layer 3s make sense?
  17. Should there be demand-based recurring fees on ENS domains?
  18. Should there be demand-based recurring fees on ENS domains?
  19. 不同類型的 ZK-EVM
  20. Farklı ZK-EVM Türleri
  21. The different types of ZK-EVMs
  22. The different types of ZK-EVMs
  23. 「网络国家」之我见
  24. What do I think about network states?
  25. What do I think about network states?
  26. My 40-liter backpack travel guide
  27. My 40-liter backpack travel guide
  28. Some ways to use ZK-SNARKs for privacy
  29. Some ways to use ZK-SNARKs for privacy
  30. Where to use a blockchain in non-financial applications?
  31. Where to use a blockchain in non-financial applications?
  32. Two thought experiments to evaluate automated stablecoins
  33. Two thought experiments to evaluate automated stablecoins
  34. In Defense of Bitcoin Maximalism
  35. In Defense of Bitcoin Maximalism
  36. The roads not taken
  37. The roads not taken
  38. How do trusted setups work?
  39. How do trusted setups work?
  40. Encapsulated vs systemic complexity in protocol design
  41. Encapsulated vs systemic complexity in protocol design
  42. Soulbound
  43. Soulbound

2021 41

  1. The bulldozer vs vetocracy political axis
  2. The bulldozer vs vetocracy political axis
  3. Endgame
  4. Endgame
  5. Review of Optimism retro funding round 1
  6. Review of Optimism retro funding round 1
  7. Halo and more: exploring incremental verification and SNARKs without pairings
  8. Halo and more: exploring incremental verification and SNARKs without pairings
  9. Crypto Cities
  10. Crypto Cities
  11. On Nathan Schneider on the limits of cryptoeconomics
  12. On Nathan Schneider on the limits of cryptoeconomics
  13. Alternatives to selling at below-market-clearing prices for achieving fairness (or community sentiment, or fun)
  14. Alternatives to selling at below-market-clearing prices for achieving fairness (or community sentiment, or fun)
  15. Moving beyond coin voting governance
  16. Moving beyond coin voting governance
  17. Against overuse of the Gini coefficient
  18. Against overuse of the Gini coefficient
  19. Verkle trees
  20. Verkle trees
  21. Blockchain voting is overrated among uninformed people but underrated among informed people
  22. La votación mediante blockchain está sobrevalorada entre personas desinformadas pero subestimada entre personas informadas
  23. Blockchain voting is overrated among uninformed people but underrated among informed people
  24. The Limits to Blockchain Scalability
  25. The Limits to Blockchain Scalability
  26. Why sharding is great: demystifying the technical properties
  27. Why sharding is great: demystifying the technical properties
  28. Gitcoin Grants Round 9: The Next Phase of Growth
  29. Gitcoin Grants Round 9: The Next Phase of Growth
  30. El recurso escaso más importante es la legitimidad
  31. The Most Important Scarce Resource is Legitimacy
  32. The Most Important Scarce Resource is Legitimacy
  33. Prediction Markets: Tales from the Election
  34. Prediction Markets: Tales from the Election
  35. An approximate introduction to how zk-SNARKs are possible
  36. An approximate introduction to how zk-SNARKs are possible
  37. Why we need wide adoption of social recovery wallets
  38. Why we need wide adoption of social recovery wallets
  39. La Guía Incompleta de los Rollups
  40. An Incomplete Guide to Rollups
  41. An Incomplete Guide to Rollups

2020 27

  1. Endnotes on 2020: Crypto and Beyond
  2. Endnotes on 2020: Crypto and Beyond
  3. Convex and Concave Dispositions
  4. Convex and Concave Dispositions
  5. Why Proof of Stake (Nov 2020)
  6. 為什麼權益證明棒棒的（2020 年十一月）
  7. Why Proof of Stake (Nov 2020)
  8. 7ème tour des subventions Gitcoin - Rétrospective
  9. Gitcoin Grants Round 7 Retrospective
  10. Gitcoin Grants Round 7 Retrospective
  11. Coordination, Good and Bad
  12. Coordination, Good and Bad
  13. Trust Models
  14. Trust Models
  15. A Philosophy of Blockchain Validation
  16. A Philosophy of Blockchain Validation
  17. Gitcoin Grants Round 6 Retrospective
  18. Gitcoin Grants Round 6 Retrospective
  19. Exploring Fully Homomorphic Encryption
  20. Exploring Fully Homomorphic Encryption
  21. Gitcoin Grants Round 5 Retrospective
  22. Gitcoin Grants Round 5 Retrospective
  23. A Quick Garbled Circuits Primer
  24. A Quick Garbled Circuits Primer
  25. 預測市場：一個選舉小故事（2021年 二月）
  26. Review of Gitcoin Quadratic Funding Round 4
  27. Review of Gitcoin Quadratic Funding Round 4

2019 28

  1. Base Layers And Functionality Escape Velocity
  2. Base Layers And Functionality Escape Velocity
  3. Christmas Special
  4. Christmas Special
  5. Quadratic Payments: A Primer
  6. Quadratic Payments: A Primer
  7. Hard Problems in Cryptocurrency: Five Years Later
  8. Hard Problems in Cryptocurrency: Five Years Later
  9. Review of Gitcoin Quadratic Funding Round 3
  10. Review of Gitcoin Quadratic Funding Round 3
  11. In-person meatspace protocol to prove unconditional possession of a private key
  12. In-person meatspace protocol to prove unconditional possession of a private key
  13. Understanding PLONK
  14. Understanding PLONK
  15. The Dawn of Hybrid Layer 2 Protocols
  16. The Dawn of Hybrid Layer 2 Protocols
  17. Sidechains vs Plasma vs Sharding
  18. Sidechains vs Plasma vs Sharding
  19. Fast Fourier Transforms
  20. Fast Fourier Transforms
  21. Control as Liability
  22. Control as Liability
  23. On Free Speech
  24. On Free Speech
  25. On Collusion
  26. On Collusion
  27. [Mirror] Cantor was Wrong: debunking the infinite set hierarchy
  28. [Mirror] Cantor was Wrong: debunking the infinite set hierarchy

2018 14

  1. A CBC Casper Tutorial
  2. A CBC Casper Tutorial
  3. [Mirror] Central Planning as Overfitting
  4. [Mirror] Central Planning as Overfitting
  5. Layer 1 Should Be Innovative in the Short Term but Less in the Long Term
  6. Layer 1 Should Be Innovative in the Short Term but Less in the Long Term
  7. A Guide to 99% Fault Tolerant Consensus
  8. A Guide to 99% Fault Tolerant Consensus
  9. STARKs, Part 3: Into the Weeds
  10. STARKs, Part 3: Into the Weeds
  11. On Radical Markets
  12. On Radical Markets
  13. Governance, Part 2: Plutocracy Is Still Bad
  14. Governance, Part 2: Plutocracy Is Still Bad

2017 34

  1. Proof of Stake FAQ
  2. Sharding FAQ
  3. Proof of Stake FAQ
  4. Sharding FAQ
  5. Notes on Blockchain Governance
  6. Notes on Blockchain Governance
  7. A Quick Gasprice Market Analysis
  8. A Quick Gasprice Market Analysis
  9. STARKs, Part II: Thank Goodness It's FRI-day
  10. STARKs, Part II: Thank Goodness It's FRI-day
  11. STARKs, Part I: Proofs with Polynomials
  12. STARKs, Part I: Proofs with Polynomials
  13. On Medium-of-Exchange Token Valuations
  14. On Medium-of-Exchange Token Valuations
  15. A Prehistory of the Ethereum Protocol
  16. A Prehistory of the Ethereum Protocol
  17. A Note on Metcalfe's Law, Externalities and Ecosystem Splits
  18. A Note on Metcalfe's Law, Externalities and Ecosystem Splits
  19. The Triangle of Harm
  20. The Triangle of Harm
  21. On Path Independence
  22. On Path Independence
  23. Analyzing Token Sale Models
  24. Analyzing Token Sale Models
  25. Engineering Security Through Coordination Problems
  26. Engineering Security Through Coordination Problems
  27. Hard Forks, Soft Forks, Defaults and Coercion
  28. Hard Forks, Soft Forks, Defaults and Coercion
  29. A Note On Charity Through Marginal Price Discrimination
  30. A Note On Charity Through Marginal Price Discrimination
  31. [Mirror] Zk-SNARKs: Under the Hood
  32. [Mirror] Zk-SNARKs: Under the Hood
  33. [Mirror] Exploring Elliptic Curve Pairings
  34. [Mirror] Exploring Elliptic Curve Pairings

2016 5

  1. [Mirror] Bir Proof of Stake Tasarım Felsefesi
  2. [Mirror] A Proof of Stake Design Philosophy
  3. [Mirror] A Proof of Stake Design Philosophy
  4. [Mirror] Quadratic Arithmetic Programs: from Zero to Hero
  5. [Mirror] Quadratic Arithmetic Programs: from Zero to Hero

2000 4

  1. Über Kollusion
  2. Na colusão
  3. Situazioni di collusione
  4. On Collusion Polish