64 stories about Privacy from across the crypto press, curated and summarized daily. Most recent: Oct 19, 2026.
Zcash developer Zakura is proposing that each ZEC swap through NEAR Intents use its own key. The change is intended to stop a refund address visible on NEAR's public blockchain from connecting a user's swaps to their broader Zcash payment history.
Starknet has introduced Shadow Accounts, a feature designed to make it harder to connect a user's main wallet with their DeFi activity. It does not hide transactions from the blockchain: activity remains publicly visible, so the feature offers separation between identities rather than full transaction privacy.
Zakura, a Zcash full-node developer, expects to add hash-based signatures to Zcash in January as a defense against future quantum attacks. It also plans to release a tool this week for rotating transparent addresses, a separate step that can reduce how long users expose the same address.
The U.S. Treasury has withdrawn two proposals that would have required reporting for crypto transactions to private wallets and designated mixers as primary money laundering concerns. This move ends years of uncertainty for self-custody users and mixer services.
The Ethereum Foundation has launched zkAPI, a system that allows users to pay for AI model access without revealing their identity. Users deposit USDC into an Ethereum vault and authorize spending with zero-knowledge proofs, ensuring the API provider cannot link requests to a payer.
Tether's USDT stablecoin is now available on Bitcoin through the Utexo project. This allows for private USDT transfers, direct swaps between BTC and USDT, and loans backed by Bitcoin, with most transaction data kept off the public ledger. This marks a significant shift after over a decade of USDT operating primarily on other blockchains.
The Bitget hacker moved $3.8 million in stolen Zcash to a privacy pool after Near blocked $50 million in swaps. This move makes the funds harder to trace, complicating recovery efforts. The hacker has been using various methods to launder the stolen $387.5 million.
A proposed Bitcoin privacy protocol, Shielded Bitcoin, uses zero-knowledge proofs to hide transactions without needing a soft fork. This could challenge Zcash's dominance in privacy-focused cryptocurrencies. The protocol leverages Bitcoin's existing infrastructure, making it more accessible for users.
Solana's privacy-focused AI wallet is gaining attention as AI integration with financial data and digital identities becomes more prevalent. This wallet stands out in the private AI market, emphasizing the importance of privacy in the digital age.
Aztec Labs has relaunched its zk.money wallet on the Aztec Network, allowing users to make private stablecoin payments using readable tags. This move enhances privacy on Ethereum, following the wallet's discontinuation in 2023. The wallet is self-custodial, meaning users have full control over their funds.
Hackers behind the Bitget exchange breach have moved $4 million of the stolen Zcash into a privacy pool, making the funds harder to trace. This move highlights the challenges in tracking and recovering stolen crypto assets. The hackers used Zcash's Ironwood upgrade to hide the transactions, which is a significant development in the ongoing investigation.
Researchers have outlined a method for private Bitcoin transfers inspired by Zcash's shielded transactions. The system uses zero-knowledge proofs but still needs a way to lock and release real BTC. This could enhance Bitcoin's privacy without requiring a hard fork, but experts have raised concerns about anonymity and quantum resistance.
SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, in her final speech, criticized current KYC systems for creating 'data haystacks' that put crypto users at risk. Recent leaks have exposed holders to phishing and physical attacks, she warned. Peirce advocates for privacy-preserving alternatives like zero-knowledge proofs.
Researchers have proposed a method to add Zcash-style privacy to Bitcoin without requiring a soft fork. The plan uses zero-knowledge proofs and encrypted notes, but experts have raised concerns about anonymity and quantum resistance.
$ROUTER is building a privacy-focused architecture for AI agents that encrypts prompts on the client side and processes them through Intel TDX enclaves. This approach aims to enhance data security and privacy in AI interactions.
Zcash is planning a November upgrade (NU7) that will reduce block times to 25 seconds, making private payments up to three times faster. The upgrade also sets aside at least 60% of transaction fees to supplement mining rewards starting in 2031.
Vitalik Buterin is pushing for EIP-8288 in Ethereum's I-star upgrade to make quantum-safe privacy more affordable. The proposal would make RISC-V the canonical instruction set for Ethereum. Separately, researchers have halved the estimated quantum resources needed to attack Bitcoin and Ethereum, though the two approaches use different accounting methods.
Zcash (ZEC) briefly traded above $1,020 after a 20% rally, causing short sellers to lose $34 million. The surge was driven by increased ETF inflows and miner activity, though network competition cut into miners' gains. This marks a significant milestone for the privacy-focused cryptocurrency.
World has made ProveKit, its zero-knowledge identity proving toolkit, open-source. It's already being used in World ID since April 2026. This move could make secure digital identity verification more accessible.
Grayscale has launched a Zcash (ZEC) ETF, giving brokerage investors exposure to the privacy-focused cryptocurrency. The launch follows a critical privacy flaw in Zcash's code that was recently discovered and patched.
Ethereum developers are reviewing 66 proposals for the upcoming Hegotá upgrade, which aims to enhance privacy for Ethereum applications. This upgrade could make Ethereum more attractive for users who prioritize privacy in their transactions.
Crypto wallet SafePal reported a breach affecting 40,000 users, exposing order details but not private keys or funds. The company has taken steps to secure the affected accounts and is notifying users.
Miden has introduced USDCx, a privacy-focused stablecoin that lets users transact without exposing balances, counterparties, or transaction histories, while allowing selective disclosure for compliance.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has outlined a new roadmap focusing on quantum-resistant cryptography, enhanced privacy, and AI-assisted formal verification. This shift aims to future-proof the network against emerging technological threats.