- Vitalik says mass surveillance shifts power to states, making crypto privacy tools more important than ever.
- Reports of possible US-Iran war are driving market tension and renewed interest in decentralized digital assets.
- Privacy-focused crypto may gain demand as conflict fears raise concerns over control, data tracking, and censorship.
Vitalik Buterin is speaking up about privacy. The Ethereum co-founder recently shared a blog post about Iran’s surveillance state.
He used it to make a broader point about freedom and technology. His comments come as tensions between the US and Iran are heating up fast. The crypto world is now paying close attention.
Vitalik’s Core Problem With How We Talk About Surveillance
Buterin says freedom advocates are making a mistake. They call surveillance “dystopian” and stop there. To him, that is not enough.
Calling something dystopian sounds like an aesthetic complaint, not a real argument. He wants people to understand the actual harm.
This is a good post on the impact of surveillance in Iran:https://t.co/TzSqUE2JOo
It's worth reading.
IMO one mistake that freedom advocates often make is that we talk about privacy violation and surveillance as "dystopian", using the word as a semantic stop sign: we know it…
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) February 18, 2026
He wrote on X that surveillance shifts the power balance between individuals and the state. Governments with total surveillance can stay in power forever. They only need a small group of loyalists with weapons and technology.
He referenced “The Dictator’s Handbook” to explain this. Small coalition governments, he noted, are the most dangerous kind.
Why Crypto and Privacy Tech Matter Right Now
Buterin sees privacy technology as part of the solution. He also supports building censorship-resistant internet access.
He called basic internet, around 1 Mbps, a global human right. In his view, it should sit outside nation-state control. Crypto tools that protect privacy can reduce the risk of total government control.
He did not spare Western governments either. Buterin pointed out that US and Israeli tech companies also run surveillance operations.
The difference, he argued, is the scope. Iran, Russia, and China focus on deep control within their borders. Western surveillance is broader but spreads across the globe. Both types pose serious threats to individual freedom.
How the US-Iran War Threat Connects to Crypto Markets
The war talk is now rattling financial markets. The Kobeissi Letter reported on X that Axios revealed evidence of an imminent US-Iran conflict.
Israel is reportedly preparing for war within days. The expected campaign would be far larger than recent operations. The US has moved two aircraft carriers, 12 warships, and hundreds of fighter jets to the region.
Over 150 military cargo flights have already moved weapons to the Middle East. Another 50 fighter jets, including F-35s and F-22s, arrived within 24 hours.
Oil prices jumped above $64 per barrel on the news. War in a major oil-producing region tends to shake global markets hard. Crypto is no exception.
BREAKING: Axios reports that there is evidence that US war with Iran is "imminent" and Israel is preparing for a scenario of "war within days," which is expected to include:
1. Weeks-long "full-fledged" war unlike the Venezuela operation, sources say
2. Joint US-Israeli…
— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) February 18, 2026
What a US-Iran War Could Mean for Bitcoin and Crypto
Historically, geopolitical crises push investors toward safe-haven assets. Gold typically rises during conflict. Bitcoin has increasingly played a similar role in some portfolios.
A prolonged US-Iran war could drive more interest in decentralized assets. Investors looking to escape traditional financial instability sometimes turn to crypto.
At the same time, market fear can trigger sell-offs across all asset classes, including crypto. The outcome is never guaranteed. What is clear is that the combination of war risk and growing surveillance concerns gives Buterin’s message more urgency.
Crypto, Vitalik argues, is not just a financial tool. It is a defense against concentrated power
