Privacy & Surveillance.
Locked together in a macabre waltz where technology advances in one prompts development in the other. On the occasion of Coinbase’s listing of privacy coin Zcash, a mini thread. 👇
Locked together in a macabre waltz where technology advances in one prompts development in the other. On the occasion of Coinbase’s listing of privacy coin Zcash, a mini thread. 👇
2/ While the back half of 2018 has been absolutely rubbish for crypto prices, it’s been great for privacy tech. Highlights include:
🔏 Monero Bulletproofs
🔏 ZCash Sapling upgrade
🔏 Grin & Beam working on MimbleWimble implementations
🔏 Monero Bulletproofs
🔏 ZCash Sapling upgrade
🔏 Grin & Beam working on MimbleWimble implementations
3/ During this period, @LucasNuzzi has become an absolute must follow for his phenomenal write-ups and distillations of these advances, exemplified in the thread below about Monero Bulletproofs
4/ Another exemplary chronicler of the privacy space is @AaronvanW, who wrote this series (linked up by @matt_odell) about privacy in different protocols for @bitcoinmagazine
5/ For anyone who wants to get in the weeds about differences in privacy approaches, btw, @KyleSamani kicked off this thread that gets pretty specific. This type of convo is one of the things that keeps Twitter magical.
7/ The caveat is that, while deposits can be made from both transparent and shielded addresses, Coinbase will only allow withdrawals to transparent addresses.
8/ To better understand Zcash from a technology standpoint as well as their perspective on where privacy tech fits in the larger regulatory environment, @zooko’s thread on talks from Devcon is massive.
9/ I’m especially interested in the social and cultural context of privacy tools, as it seems to me that their ultimate effectiveness against the massive opportunity for surveillance will be driven by how much consumers care.
10/ On the one hand, we’re absolutely seeing more consciousness. This thread from @kevinbankston on Ford seeing its future profitability in selling data about its customers -data we don't usually think about being collected- has been retweeted 4500 times.
11/ On the other hand, 4,000 Swedes have implanted microchips in their hand to pay for things and gain keyless entry to their houses and offices more conveniently. So, you know, there's that.
12/ On the latest @WhatBitcoinDid @PeterMcCormack and I went deep on surveillance and privacy - and in particular, how advertising supplies the innocuous business model for data collection that forms the basis of surveillance
13/ I am incredibly excited about the advances represented in ZCash, Monero & Grin.
At the same time, I can’t help but think that their impact will be determined largely by consumer demand, and wonder whether we’ll care enough soon enough.
What do you think?
At the same time, I can’t help but think that their impact will be determined largely by consumer demand, and wonder whether we’ll care enough soon enough.
What do you think?
