Vitalik: pseudonymity is dead, even as Signal moves past phone numbers Vitalik Buterin (@VitalikButerin) welcomed signs that Signal (@signalapp) is building support for accounts without phone numbers, evidence visible in the app's public server code and echoed by its CTO,

What happened

Vitalik Buterin said pseudonymity is effectively over and noted that Signal is adding support for accounts that do not require a phone number, as shown in its public server code and confirmed by the company’s CTO.

Confirmed

Global impact / market context

If Signal lets users register without phone numbers, more people can communicate anonymously, which could increase the platform’s appeal for privacy‑focused users and affect how regulators view encrypted messaging services.

Analyst inference

The move comes as privacy tools gain attention after heightened scrutiny of online identity, and could influence investor sentiment toward companies that build secure communication infrastructure or face regulatory pressure.

Analyst inference

What to watch

1. Whether Signal officially launches phone‑number‑free accounts and how quickly adoption grows among privacy‑conscious users. Proposed
2. Regulatory responses to more anonymous messaging, especially any new rules that could limit or require disclosure for such services. Proposed
3. Investor reactions to startups and larger firms that integrate Signal’s technology, which may affect funding and valuation in the secure‑messaging sector. Proposed

Evidence

• x.com