Vitalik Buterin Proposes Enhancements for Ethereum Privacy
Vitalik Buterin, one of the founders of Ethereum, recently issued a detailed proposal to improve the privacy of the network’s users. Published on its blog on April 10, the document suggests a lightweight and practical approach, without the need for structural changes to the Ethereum protocol consensus.
Core Concepts
The central idea involves incorporating privacy features directly into digital wallets, with tools such as Privacy Pools and solutions already used by projects such as Railway Private DeFi Wallet. Buterin advocates that users should be able to activate a “protected balance” by default, with the possibility of sending values directly from this balance, without needing to install a specific wallet for this purpose.
Agreement on Privacy Enhancement
According to the developer, the goal is to make private transactions more common, making this the default option whenever possible. He also proposed using different addresses for each decentralized application (DApp), which would reduce traceability between different activities carried out by the same user. Although he acknowledges the loss of convenience, he considers this a practical solution to preserve privacy in decentralized environments.
Confidentiality in Transactions
Another point addressed in the plan is the need for transactions sent to the wallet itself to also remain confidential, strengthening individual protection. It also suggests integrating privacy layers using security modules such as TEE (Trusted Execution Environment) in communications via RPC (Remote Procedure Call). According to Buterin, this solution is temporary until technologies such as PIR (Private Information Retrieval) become more efficient.
Recommendations for Wallets
The proposal also recommends that wallets connect to multiple RPC nodes, preferably through mixnets, with separate servers for each DApp. This reduces data exposure when transferring information between the user and the blockchain.
Future Directions
Finally, Buterin suggests technical advances in privacy-focused protocols such as Railway and Tornado Cash, as well as enabling the use of shared proofs in transactions and the development of wallets that keep data protected even in complex interactions. The goal, he says, is to create a secure environment even in the face of potentially malicious RPC node operators.