Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently introduced a framework called 'intent-based security' on X. He argues that security and user experience are essentially the same thing — the core is ensuring the system's execution matches the user's true intent.
Simulate First, Confirm After Seeing Results
Vitalik outlined a straightforward mechanism: users specify the operation they want to perform, the system simulates the on-chain outcome, and then users click 'confirm' or 'cancel' after viewing the simulation. He wrote: 'Users specify the action they want to take, then after seeing the simulated on-chain consequences of that action, they click 'confirm' or 'cancel'.'
Beyond transaction simulation, the framework includes additional safeguards like spending limits and multisignature. A transaction is only approved when the user's intent, expected outcome, and risk tolerance align. The goal is to make routine small transactions smoother while making high-risk large transfers or contract interactions more deliberate.
The Biggest Challenge: Defining 'User Intent'
Vitalik admitted that defining user intent itself is 'extremely complex,' which is why a perfect security solution is impossible. To address this, he proposed letting users express intent through multiple overlapping mechanisms — a transaction executes only when these mechanisms' results match. This 'multi-verification' design echoes his previous advocacy of multisig wallets and social recovery. He emphasized: 'User intent is inherently an extremely complex object, one that even the user themselves cannot fully grasp.'
From Blockchain Trilemma to Security Upgrades
Security is a key pillar of Vitalik's 'Blockchain Trilemma,' alongside decentralization and scalability. While Ethereum development recently focused on scaling (Layer 2, sharding), this proposal signals equal attention to security and UX improvements. Notably, Vitalik has been vocal on wallet security lately — he previously claimed 'hardware wallets are overrated,' urging most people to store assets in multisig wallets, and criticized many 'smart wallets' as centralized with malicious risks. This intent-based security framework represents his latest iteration of crypto wallet vision.