The Ethereum Foundation is embarking on a significant strategic pivot, prioritizing comprehensive privacy across its blockchain network. Recognizing that confidentiality must transition from an exceptional feature to a fundamental standard, the organization has unveiled a detailed roadmap aimed at embedding end-to-end privacy into the very fabric of Ethereum's operations. This initiative underscores a critical phase in Ethereum's evolution, addressing a key barrier to broader enterprise and user adoption.
This ambitious drive is spearheaded by the newly rebranded Privacy Stewards of Ethereum (PSE), formerly known as Privacy & Scaling Explorations. The shift in nomenclature reflects a refined mission: to move beyond theoretical research and directly tackle practical challenges in achieving robust privacy within the ecosystem. PSE's focus is now firmly on problem-solving, disseminating information regarding progress and hurdles, and enhancing overall outcomes to integrate privacy seamlessly into the network experience.
At the core of PSE's roadmap are three fundamental pillars designed to redefine user interaction and data handling on the blockchain. These include:
- Private Transactions: Enabling the initiation and processing of transfers without exposing sensitive details about participants, crucially aiming for these private operations to incur costs comparable to public ones.
- Private Reading: Allowing users to access blockchain data and interact with the network without revealing their identity or intentions.
- Private Proofs: Focusing on the private generation and verification of cryptographic proofs, with an emphasis on reducing costs and increasing the speed of these essential computations.
