Privacy is blockchain's missing link—and America's opportunity to lead

Fast Company

a day ago

In my last job, I was fortunate to join Circle as one of the earliest employees. And as blockchain technologies evolved over recent years, edging closer to mainstream adoption, I noticed a deep contradiction has emerged. The transparency that defines public blockchains—the very feature designed to build trust—has become their Achilles' heel.
Every transaction on-chain is etched into a public ledger for all to see. This means that user addresses, financial behavior, and asset holdings are exposed permanently and immutably. In traditional financial systems, such data is closely guarded. In crypto, it's open by default.
This is not just a theoretical concern. The lack of privacy on public blockchains is exposing individuals to real-world risks: profiling, extortion, digital surveillance, and even physical threats. Anyone with a blockchain wallet is a potential target—whether they are a Ukrainian citizen receiving aid, a whistleblower relying on digital assets for safety, or a consumer simply transacting online.
The stakes are escalating. According to Chainalysis, nearly $46 billion worth of crypto was transferred through illicit channels in 2023, with many transactions linked to sanctioned entities. Blockchain's radical transparency makes tracing those funds technically feasible, but it also means innocent users may be swept up in guilt-by-association logic, flagged by automated compliance systems, or monitored by adversarial nation-states exploiting open ledgers for intelligence purposes.
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We are at an inflection point. On one hand, blockchain has evolved from an experimental idea into a foundational layer for decentralized finance (DeFi), gaming, cross-border payments, and digital identity. On the other, the absence of privacy threatens to stall its momentum. Without privacy guarantees, Web3 won't scale into a secure, inclusive internet economy—it will remain a risky, self-surveilling shadow of its potential.
It's not just user safety at stake. Institutional adoption, long seen as the tipping point for crypto's maturation, is lagging in part because privacy solutions are underdeveloped. Financial institutions and enterprises cannot embrace systems that force them to reveal business-sensitive transactions to competitors and regulators alike. Privacy is not the enemy of compliance; it's a prerequisite for serious engagement. The road ahead
The good news? A path forward exists.
Recent regulatory tailwinds—particularly in the United States—point to a growing willingness to integrate blockchain into the regulated financial system. Lawmakers are increasingly exploring frameworks for stablecoins, digital asset custody, and decentralized finance. And with the emergence of advanced cryptographic tools such as zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs), we now have the technical foundation to reconcile transparency with confidentiality.
Zero-knowledge cryptography allows users to prove the validity of information—such as identity or solvency—without revealing the underlying data. In practical terms, this means users can comply with regulations (e.g., AML, KYC) without exposing every transaction to the world. ZKPs are already being piloted by privacy-forward networks and could become the industry standard if policy and investment align.
And alignment is possible. In 2024, the European Union began implementing its Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulation, while Hong Kong and the UAE continue developing regulated environments for digital assets. Yet the U.S. retains a unique advantage: its history of open innovation, its global financial leadership, and its robust civil liberties tradition. If it embraces blockchain privacy not just as a feature but as infrastructure—akin to encryption on the internet—it can set a global standard.
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The stakes for leadership are high. In a world defined by rising geopolitical tension, blockchain privacy is becoming a matter of national security. Adversarial governments are already using blockchain analytics to trace and target users, conduct financial espionage, and undermine dissident movements. Without privacy, blockchains risk becoming tools of surveillance rather than instruments of freedom.
At the same time, user demand for private, secure financial tools is surging. A recent survey by the Electric Coin Company found that 84% of crypto users consider privacy to be a critical feature of digital finance. And among developers, privacy-preserving technology is one of the fastest-growing areas of investment, according to Electric Capital's 2023 developer report. A host of solutions
So what can be done?
First, policymakers must move past the false binary of privacy versus compliance. These are not mutually exclusive goals. Clear guidelines that embrace advanced cryptography, establish safe harbors for privacy-preserving innovation, and differentiate between consumer protection and surveillance will enable the next generation of secure digital finance.
Second, industry leaders need to elevate privacy to the level of consensus mechanisms, scalability, and user experience. Just as we wouldn't launch a blockchain without validating transactions or securing the network, we shouldn't deploy them without protecting users. Privacy must be a baseline, not a bonus.
Finally, public-private collaboration is essential. The early internet thrived because of cooperation between universities, startups, civil society, and government. Blockchain deserves the same collaborative energy. By fostering research, funding privacy innovation, and supporting interoperability standards, the U.S. can lead the world in building a safer, more trustworthy digital economy.
In the end, privacy is not a fringe concern. It is the cornerstone of user trust, the foundation of financial inclusion, and the safeguard of democratic values in the digital age.
Blockchain has the potential to reshape the global financial system—but only if we build it securely. The time to act is now.