Vitalik Buterin once again raised the issue of privacy in Ethereum, emphasizing that the ecosystem has not yet reached the level originally envisioned. To address this issue, the Ethereum Foundation unveiled Kohaku, a modular, open-source platform designed to create secure wallets without the need for a centralized infrastructure. Developers will be able to use this system to integrate privacy tools directly into user applications.
Kohaku is currently in development, but it is already known that its key focus will be the use of the Railgun and Privacy Pools protocols. Both solutions are based on the concept of "proof of innocence," allowing users to maintain privacy without violating established security rules. The privacy pools created by 0xbow additionally utilize association lists, which help filter out suspicious transactions and hinder malicious activity.
The system will automatically provide privacy features for popular Ethereum wallets, such as MetaMask and Rainbow. During the demonstration, Buterin demonstrated that integration with Railgun will allow users to effectively hide their asset information. The implementation of Kohaku is expected to create an environment where privacy becomes a built-in standard for all ecosystem tools, eliminating the need for complex manual configuration.
Buterin believes that privacy is an essential component of personal freedom. It allows people to be confident that political structures, corporations, or public institutions will be able to closely monitor their financial activity. He considers the creation of tools that protect private data by default a step toward a more resilient and equitable digital infrastructure.
Buterin's recent statements have touched not only on privacy but also on decentralization. He shared his views on the causes of the collapse of the FTX crypto exchange, noting that the underlying cause was the lack of a truly distributed architecture. He previously emphasized that the DeFi sector is gradually emerging as a viable alternative to traditional banking, offering users more transparent asset management mechanisms.
These discussions confirm that the Ethereum Foundation's efforts are aimed at expanding the network's functionality and security, as well as establishing new privacy standards that could change the rules of the crypto industry.