@fxnac89
Rambling about privacy
In today’s Web3 landscape, “decentralization” and “privacy” are almost contradictory concepts:
Decentralization = complete transparency
Every interaction is on-chain, meaning anyone can see everything you do. It’s great for trust and for preventing fraud.
Privacy = limiting what information can be seen
Something traditional blockchains haven’t done well.
The hard part is this:
How do we protect user privacy without sacrificing transparency and verifiability?
At this point, the entire Web3 industry has reached a shared conclusion:
Privacy is not about being 100% anonymous — it’s about selective disclosure.
What will happen in the next few years?
ZK (Zero-Knowledge) will become the backbone of privacy
It allows someone to prove something is true without revealing the underlying details.
For example: proving you have money without revealing your actual balance.
Wallets with layered identities (smart wallets with abstracted identity)
Users will have multiple layers of identity:
a public identity
a transaction identity
a hidden identity
All separated, yet still cryptographically verifiable.
Privacy-first networks that can still be audited
Chains will move toward a model where:
→ Outsiders see nothing
→ But transactions can still be proven valid
This is “transparent decentralization without exposure.”
Applications will adopt privacy as the default
Instead of forcing users to manage it themselves, privacy will become a built-in layer — just like SSL did in Web2.
My honest perspective
Right now, Web3 feels like the Internet in 1995:
too exposed
too easy to trace
not truly friendly for everyday users
What users truly need is:
“Privacy without sacrificing decentralization.”
And to achieve that, we’re waiting for an “iPhone moment of privacy” — a breakthrough that forces the entire industry to evolve.
One thing is certain:
Within the next 5 years, privacy will explode as the next major wave in Web3. Whoever solves the balance between transparency and privacy first will lead the entire market.
TL;DR:
Web3 today is fully transparent, but users need privacy without breaking decentralization. The future of privacy relies on ZK proofs, layered identities, and “privacy-first but auditable” blockchains. Over the next five years, privacy will become the next major wave in Web3 — and whoever solves the balance between transparency and privacy first will lead the market.
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