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Vitalik calls for open-source infrastructure in health, finance, governance

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  Published in Business and Finance on Wednesday, September 24th 2025 at 5:47 GMT by CoinTelegraph
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Vitalik Buterin Calls for Open‑Source Infrastructure to Power Health, Finance, and Governance

Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin has long championed open‑source principles as a way to democratize technology. In a recent CoinTelegraph interview, he outlined a bold vision for extending that ethos to some of society’s most critical sectors—healthcare, finance, and governance. His argument is simple yet profound: the future of these fields hinges on interoperable, community‑driven platforms built on transparent, auditable code.

The Core Thesis

Buterin argues that “health, finance, and governance are not just services; they are the public goods that underpin modern civilization.” In each of these domains, he identifies a pressing need for open, interoperable infrastructure that can scale to billions of users while preserving privacy and security. “If the internet is a global information commons, then the next step is to build a global commons for data that we can trust,” he said.

He likens the current state of health and finance systems to “fragmented, siloed, and often opaque.” Hospitals use proprietary electronic health record (EHR) systems that cannot talk to each other; banks rely on legacy core banking platforms that create massive friction for cross‑border payments; governments still roll out paper‑based public services in many parts of the world. “These silos create bottlenecks, inflate costs, and expose data to abuse,” he noted. The solution, according to Buterin, is to layer open‑source blockchains, privacy‑preserving protocols, and token‑based incentives over these domains.

Health: Decentralized Identity and Data Ownership

In the health sector, Buterin cites several projects that are already testing the feasibility of open‑source models. He points to OpenMined, a community that is building privacy‑preserving machine‑learning tools, and HealthChain, a prototype platform that uses Ethereum smart contracts to allow patients to own, control, and monetize their own medical data. The platform would use self‑sovereign identity (SSI) so that individuals can prove their health credentials without a central authority.

“But the main barrier is trust,” Buterin says. “People need to trust that the data they share is stored securely, that they can prove their identity without a single point of failure, and that they are compensated fairly.” In response, he highlights a pilot project in Estonia that has been experimenting with SSI for national ID cards, noting its success as a roadmap for broader adoption.

Buterin is also skeptical of tokenization that simply treats health data as a commodity. “We must ensure that the token economics do not become a form of commodification that undermines patient welfare.” He proposes a hybrid model: tokens could grant access to analytics or research, but the underlying data would remain under patient control.

Finance: Open‑Source DeFi and Digital Identity

The finance sector, perhaps more than any other, has already embraced blockchain. DeFi protocols have demonstrated that financial services can be built on top of open protocols, enabling anyone with an internet connection to access credit, insurance, or liquidity. Buterin warns, however, that “the DeFi boom has revealed systemic risk through code vulnerabilities, oracle manipulation, and regulatory gray areas.”

He advocates for an open‑source infrastructure that bridges DeFi with traditional finance. Key components would include oracles that feed real‑world data into smart contracts, layer‑2 scaling solutions that reduce transaction costs, and standardized regulatory compliance modules that can be swapped out by jurisdiction. He mentions Chainlink as a pioneer in decentralized oracle networks and Aragon as a DAO platform that can be leveraged for decentralized regulatory compliance.

On the identity front, he emphasizes that a digital identity layer could reduce KYC friction, allowing “decentralized KYC (dKYC)” to operate in a privacy‑preserving manner. He refers to the Open Identity Foundation (OIF) and its W3C DID (Decentralized Identifier) specifications, noting that many governments are exploring these standards for digital passports.

Governance: DAO‑Based Public Participation

In the governance arena, Buterin’s vision is perhaps the most ambitious. He proposes a future where Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) play a direct role in public decision‑making, from local community budgeting to national policy proposals. “Governance should be a first‑class citizen on the open‑source platform,” he writes. The underlying technology would combine on‑chain voting, reputation systems, and token‑weighted decision‑making.

He cites Snapshot, a governance platform used by thousands of DAOs to vote on proposals without transaction costs, as a proof of concept that low‑friction voting is possible. Additionally, he references the Aragon Court and DAOStack as examples of community‑run arbitration systems that could resolve disputes without government intervention.

However, Buterin acknowledges the difficulty of scaling this model to a national level. “We need to ensure that participation is inclusive, that voting power is not concentrated, and that the legal framework recognizes DAO‑generated decisions,” he stresses. He proposes a multilateral governance protocol that could be endorsed by multiple states, thereby creating a common legal baseline.

The Open‑Source Advantage

Buterin’s argument is grounded in the fundamental strengths of open‑source: transparency, community scrutiny, and rapid iteration. In his view, open‑source code reduces the “security risk” inherent in proprietary systems that can be reverse‑engineered or coerced by powerful actors. He cites the OpenZeppelin libraries as an example of secure, community‑verified code that is used by many DeFi projects.

Moreover, open‑source infrastructure enables interoperability. By adhering to shared standards—such as ERC‑20 for fungible tokens, ERC‑721 for NFTs, and emerging standards like ERC‑3643 for identity—developers can build on top of each other’s work. This modularity, he argues, is essential for scaling complex systems like national health registries or multi‑bank payment networks.

Challenges and the Road Ahead

Despite the optimistic vision, Buterin is candid about the hurdles. Regulatory uncertainty remains the biggest obstacle. “We cannot build without policy guidance,” he says. He urges policymakers to adopt a more “technology‑agnostic” approach, creating frameworks that can adapt to evolving protocols.

Privacy is another concern. “The public‑ledger model can’t be applied wholesale to health data,” he cautions. He proposes zero‑knowledge proofs (ZKPs) and confidential computing as ways to keep sensitive data off‑chain while still proving authenticity on the chain.

Finally, user experience is critical. If the infrastructure is too complex, it will fail to achieve mass adoption. Buterin emphasizes the need for UI/UX design that abstracts away blockchain intricacies, making it as simple to use as current web applications.

Conclusion

Vitalik Buterin’s call for open‑source infrastructure in health, finance, and governance is a clarion for a more inclusive, secure, and transparent digital future. By leveraging blockchain’s core strengths—decentralization, transparency, and programmability—he believes we can rebuild the public goods that modern society depends on. The next decade will likely see increasing experimentation with the ideas he champions: from SSI‑based health passports to DAO‑led local councils. Whether the vision materializes will depend on a convergence of technology, policy, and community willpower. For now, Buterin’s vision remains a compelling roadmap for the next wave of open‑source innovation.