Vitalik points out the shortcomings of Ethereum wallet experience: ETF amplifies risks, "Unattended Testing" becomes a life-and-death line

January 29, 2024 — Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin revealed a critical flaw in crypto wallets during "Unattended Testing" through a seemingly ordinary multi-signature operation. He stated that when needing to query a multi-signature contract address, due to the Safe app not being installed on his phone, he had to use the "Read Contract" feature on a block explorer. This temporary workaround exposed the wallet's vulnerability when the front-end fails.

Buterin pointed out that a wallet or application truly passes the "Disposal Test" only if core operations can be completed using open-source tools after the front-end disappears. This means users should not be locked into a single interface or app; otherwise, service interruptions could pose significant risks to asset management. However, he also warned that this approach has privacy concerns. Reading sensitive information via web pages or link parameters could lead to leaks. Ideally, more functions should be securely handled within the wallet itself rather than relying on external workarounds.

This discussion comes amid the rapid inflow of structured funds into the digital asset market following the launch of the US spot Ethereum ETF. As more institutions access Ethereum through traditional financial channels, the cost of product design flaws is significantly magnified. Any user experience issues could evolve into systemic risks in a large-scale capital environment.

The developer community has proposed alternatives, such as open-source tools like swissknifexyz and Microchain Labs' "microchain zk signers," which aim to reduce complexity and exposure caused by explicit multi-signatures through zero-knowledge proofs.

In the current environment of accelerating capital flows and increasingly financialized product forms, Buterin's warning is particularly relevant: if a system cannot safeguard user rights in "unattended" or "front-end disappeared" scenarios, the problem will ultimately manifest through market prices and trust erosion. For the Ethereum ecosystem, wallet experience is no longer an optional feature but a fundamental basis for security and scalable development. #金价突破5500美元