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Vitalik Buterin Uses Privacy Tool Railgun Again, Signaling Ongoing Embrace of On-Chain Anonymity

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin transferred around $2.6 million worth of tokens through the privacy-focused protocol Railgun on Wednesday, in what appears to be both a routine financial transaction and a quiet endorsement of blockchain-based privacy.
It’s unclear how the funds sent to Railgun — which included a mix of ETH and USDC — were ultimately used. Railgun is a tool designed to obfuscate on-chain activity, enabling investors to use decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols without transactions being tied to their personal crypto wallets.
It is not the first time Buterin has used the protocol. In March, he moved approximately $500,000 through Railgun in a similar transaction. While Buterin has not commented directly on the latest transfer, his continued use of the tool underscores his long-standing advocacy for privacy as a core pillar of Ethereum’s infrastructure.
Buterin and other Ethereum developers have repeatedly argued that user privacy should be treated as a default feature, not an optional add-on. In an April post to an Ethereum developer forum, Buterin outlined several recommended steps for making the blockchain more private.
The Ethereum community’s push for privacy comes amid ongoing scrutiny of privacy-preserving blockchain tools by regulators. While Railgun aims to enable legitimate private transactions, similar tools have drawn legal fire.
Tornado Cash—once the most widely used Ethereum-based mixer—was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in August 2022. The government alleged the platform was used to launder over $1 billion, including funds linked to North Korea’s Lazarus hacking group.
However, on March 21, 2025, OFAC officially lifted the sanctions against Tornado Cash following a federal appeals court ruling that the agency had overstepped its authority.
Railgun, described on its website as a «DeFi privacy toolkit,» represents a newer generation of privacy systems built on Ethereum, combining zero-knowledge cryptography with smart contract composability. This newer system, unlike Tornado Cash, incorporates screening features to deter illegal transactions.
Notably, in February, Buterin commended Railgun for its successful prevention of a money-laundering attempt.
Also unlike Tornado Cash, which is primarily built to help users transfer funds anonymously, Railgun helps users interact directly with DeFi protocols — allowing investors to transact discretely while maintaining full control of their funds.
The project has received support from some privacy advocates and developers, who argue that tools like Railgun can serve legal use cases such as financial privacy for activists, journalists, or high-net-worth crypto «whales» who want to transact with discretion.
Following Buterin’s latest transaction, Railgun’s native token, RAIL, experienced a 15% uptick over the past 24 hours.
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Bitcoin Holds Above $105K Despite Donald Trump’s Threats Against Elon Musk

Bitcoin BTC held firm above $105,000 on Saturday despite an unusually combative and personal escalation in the Trump-Musk feud that could rattle traditional markets next week.
On Saturday, in a phone interview with NBC News, President Trump warned that there would be “serious consequences” if Elon Musk financially backed Democratic candidates running against Republicans who support the GOP’s budget bill. “If he does, he’ll have to pay the consequences for that,” Trump said, adding later, “He’ll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that.”
Trump, who has often boasted of past support from Musk, firmly dismissed the idea of mending ties. “No,” he said when asked whether he wished to repair the relationship. “I would assume so, yeah,” he added when asked if the rift was permanent.
Despite the intensifying feud between two of the most influential figures in U.S. politics and technology, Bitcoin remained unfazed. The cryptocurrency held onto earlier gains and continues to trade near weekly highs. The market’s composure suggests that traders may increasingly view BTC as a hedge against institutional dysfunction, or at least as an asset insulated from the partisan fallout that tends to impact equities more directly.
Technical Analysis Highlights
- BTC traded in a 24-hour range of $1,162 (1.13%), from a low of $104,624 to a high of $105,786, according to CoinDesk Research’s technical analysis model.
- Strong support formed at $104,800, where above-average volume confirmed buyer interest.
- Resistance at $105,200 was broken and has since flipped into a short-term support zone.
- Volume peaked at 378 BTC during key breakout moments, especially around 13:43–13:46 and 13:53.
- A short consolidation occurred between $104,300–$104,600 before the final surge to near highs.
- An ascending price channel remains intact, showing bullish structure despite intermittent pullbacks.
Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk’s full AI Policy.
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Ether Holds Steady Above $2,500 as ETF Demand Signals Institutional Confidence

Ether ETH has rebounded firmly from key support near $2,460, recovering losses and stabilizing above the $2,500 threshold amid broader market volatility.
The rally follows a higher low formation backed by above-average volume, signaling growing market confidence.
Institutional participation appears to be reinforcing the trend, with BlackRock’s ETHA ETF reporting $492 million in net inflows last week.
Total holdings now exceed $4.84 billion, reinforcing long-term bullish sentiment even as price action remains sensitive to geopolitical developments.
Traders are watching to see if ETH can challenge resistance in the $2,520–$2,530 range.
Technical Analysis Highlights
- ETH traded within a $72 range over 24 hours, from a low of $2,460.35 to a high of $2,532.41.
- A key support zone formed at $2,460–$2,470, where ETH bounced on strong volume during midnight hours.
- Final hour surge reached $2,515.11, backed by 5,919 ETH in volume.
- Higher low structure established with interim support at $2,485 and resistance at $2,503.
- Final retracement held support at $2,507, with price consolidating around $2,510 into the close.
Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk’s full AI Policy.
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Coinbase, BiT Global End Legal Fight Over WBTC Delisting

Coinbase and BiT Global have reached a legal settlement that ended their dispute over the delisting of BiT Global’s wrapped bitcoin (wBTC) token on Coinbase.
According to a joint court filing, BiT Global has agreed to dismiss its lawsuit against the crypto exchange with prejudice, meaning the case cannot be brought again in the future. The filing notes that both companies will cover their own legal expenses.
BiT Global had filed the lawsuit last year in the Northern District of California after Coinbase delisted the token over what it said was “unacceptable risk” that the tokenized BTC would “fall into the hands of Justin Sun.”
Sun became affiliated with wBTC in August last year through a partnership, prompting Coinbase to question BiT Global about his role. Sun, a Chinese-born crypto billionaire, has nevertheless been supporting the token, with World Liberty Financial dropping its cbBTC for wBTC after he joined as an advisor.
The suit alleged the exchange’s decision was unjustified and harmed the token’s liquidity and reputation while favoring Coinbase’s competing asset cbBTC. Coinbase launched cbBTC just two months before announcing it was delisting wBTC.
The dismissal does not disclose any settlement terms beyond the cost arrangement.
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