Vitalik Buterin Says Simulated Transactions Will Boost Crypto Security

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed that simulated transactions could become a key tool for improving crypto security. He argues that digital safety relies on minimizing the gap between what users intend and what systems actually execute.

In a recent post on X, Buterin explained that blockchain systems, wallets, and smart contracts face high-risk scenarios where adversarial actions can lead to major losses. He described security as not just technical strength but also how well systems capture human intent.

How I think about “security”:

The goal is to minimize the divergence between the user’s intent, and the actual behavior of the system.

“User experience” can also be defined in this way. Thus, “user experience” and “security” are thus not separate fields. However, “security”…

— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) February 22, 2026

Understanding Security Through User Intent

Buterin emphasized that perfect security is impossible because human intent is complex and often subconscious. Even users cannot fully express their goals mathematically, leaving room for errors.

For example, a simple transaction like sending one ETH to someone named Bob can become complicated. Problems arise if Bob’s public key is compromised, if a hard fork changes what ETH represents, or if common-sense decisions cannot be encoded in software.

The problem becomes even more challenging when privacy is considered, as metadata leaks can reveal more than the content of messages. Buterin connected these challenges to early AI safety discussions, highlighting how difficult it is to specify human goals accurately.

Tools and Redundancy for Safer Systems

Instead of chasing perfection, Buterin recommends using redundancy through multiple overlapping expressions of intent. Systems should act only when these signals align, reducing the risk of mistakes.

Practical tools that follow this principle include type systems in programming, formal verification, and transaction simulations in wallets. Post-assertions, multisignature approvals, social recovery, and spending limits also help ensure that user intentions match system actions.

At the same time, Buterin stressed that security should not create unnecessary friction for routine operations. Low-risk actions should remain smooth, while high-risk ones trigger additional checks to prevent errors.

He also sees a role for AI, describing large language models as “shadows of human common sense.” When integrated carefully, LLMs provide extra perspectives on user intent, complementing other security measures without replacing them.

The post has sparked discussion among Ethereum developers and users, particularly around social recovery and intent-based architectures. Buterin’s framework emphasizes that improving crypto security is less about invincible systems and more about aligning software behavior with what users truly intend.

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