Vitalik donation to the Session project has drawn attention to on-chain encrypted communication.
TL;DR
On November 27, 2025, Vitalik Buterin donated 128 ETH (approximately $380,000) to the Session project, completing the transfer via the Railgun privacy protocol. This move caused the SESH token to surge by over 370%, highlighting the importance of on-chain encrypted communication. The actual donation was 128 ETH, not 182 ETH, as part of a dual donation plan of 128 ETH each to Session and SimpleX Chat.
Core Analysis
Donation Details
Corrected information : Vitalik Buterin actually donated 128 ETH (not the 182 ETH mentioned in the query) to the Session project, worth approximately $380,000 . The transaction occurred on November 26-27, 2025 , UTC time.
| Transaction Details | information |
|---|---|
| Donation amount | 128 ETH (~$380,000) |
| Trading hours | November 27, 2025, 00:00-01:00 UTC |
| Sending address | 0x35c3c5102b0ee09bdf4e95cc2d671a1c3dfcb3cb (Relay address) |
| Receiving address | 0x663930c996DeC843885B32ae5B5489B10f6F472e |
| Transaction hash | 0xbd876d58fca5e5b557423d41362bf194b72e28fa06e064d9482863888f2c5fa0 |
| Privacy protection | Mixing coins via Railgun protocol |
Purpose of the donation : To support permissionless account creation and metadata-private messaging technologies, advancing the development of decentralized communication. Vitalik emphasized that Session/SimpleX is the "next step" beyond Signal/Telegram.
Session Project Background
Session is a blockchain-based end-to-end encrypted messaging application with over 1 million users. It uses Onion routing technology to achieve "minimal metadata leakage." Project features include:
- No phone/email registration required : Use an encrypted identity for complete anonymity.
- Decentralized node network : 2000+ nodes provide message routing
- Multi-device support : Synchronization via configuration messages
- Open source license : The Session protocol uses XSalsa20-Poly1305 encryption.
The SESH token (contract address: 0x10ea9e5303670331bdddfa66a4cea47dae4fcf3b) is a utility token in the Session ecosystem, used for:
- Node staking rewards
- Advanced features (Session Pro, Username)
- Network incentive mechanism
Token Economics :
- Total supply: 240M SESH
- Circulation: 80M SESH
- FDV: $46M
- Funding Raised: Total $3.4M ($2.4M seed round in 2023 + $1M ICO in 2025)
Market Impact Analysis
SESH tokens saw explosive growth after the donation announcement:
| Time Node | price | Increase | Market capitalization |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 13 | $0.04 | - | - |
| Closing price on November 26 | $0.04 | - | - |
| November 27 high | $0.42 | +950% | - |
| November 28 | $0.19-$0.24 | +375-500% | ~$15M |
- 7-day increase : +421%
- 24-hour trading volume : $590K
- All-time high : $0.4197 (November 26)
- Circulating market capitalization : approximately $15 million
Social sentiment analysis
KOL Opinions
The community responded extremely positively to the donation, with major KOLs expressing strong support:
- Vitalik Buterin praised Session and SimpleX Chat for their innovation in solving the "decentralization problem," emphasizing the importance of collaborative development and practical use. (x.com)
- Richard Heart called the move "very good" and said it aligns with his advocacy against censorship tools. (x.com)
- The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) : We thank Session for its role in combating end-to-end crypto legal threats. x.com
- Status : Enthusiastic supporter of "privacy on the Ethereum blockchain". x.com
Key narrative trends
The mainstream narrative positions Session (and its SESH token) as a leader in the field of "metadata privacy," protecting not only message content but also sender/receiver patterns, timestamps, and network metadata from surveillance.
Popular topics include :
- Ethereum-Privacy Synergy : The Alignment of Session with the Ethereum Spirit
- Decentralized Alternatives : A Comparison with Centralized Applications like Signal and WhatsApp
- On-chain cryptographic momentum : the rise of protocols such as fully homomorphic encryption (FHE)
On-chain encrypted communication trend analysis
Market Development Prospects
The blockchain messaging application market is projected to grow from $66 billion in 2024 to $1.2 trillion in 2032, representing a compound annual growth rate of 44%. (globenewswire )
Key Project Comparison
| project | Token/Market Cap | Main features | Ethereum integration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session (SESH) | $15M market capitalization, $0.19 | DePIN E2E News, Tor Router, Staking to Prevent Spam | ETH/Arbitrum native |
| SimpleX Chat | No token | Metadata is private, no ID system | Indirect support |
| XMTP | Pre-issued coins | Wallet/Agent Messages, Base L3 Testnet | ETH L2/Wallet Core |
Comparison of technical advantages
Traditional encrypted messaging applications (Signal/WhatsApp):
- Advantages: Strong end-to-end encryption
- Drawbacks: Centralized server, exposed metadata, requires phone/email registration.
On-chain encrypted communication :
- Advantages: No permission required, decentralized nodes, metadata hiding, integrated payment/DAO
- Challenges: High user experience, latency, and cost.
in conclusion
Vitalik Buterin's 128 ETH donation marks a significant milestone in the field of on-chain encrypted communication, validating the innovative value of the Session project in privacy technology. The explosive growth of the SESH token reflects the strong market demand for decentralized, censorship-resistant communication tools. With increasing regulatory pressure and growing privacy awareness, on-chain encrypted communication is poised to become a crucial component of Web3 infrastructure, and Session is well-positioned with its technological advantages and community support.