Let’s be honest Web3 loves to brag about being decentralized and trustless, but when it comes to privacy? We’re still kinda naked.
Most dApps today expose way too much data on-chain. Wallet addresses, transaction history, smart contract logic public, forever, and for everyone to see. That’s not privacy. That’s surveillance with extra steps.
But here’s the plot twist: Privacy ≠ secrecy.
It’s about control being able to decide what data gets shared, with whom, and under what conditions.
Recently came across this great breakdown on “Smart Privacy” in Web3.
TL;DR:
🔐 Privacy should be programmable
🧠 Policy logic should be baked into smart contracts
🕵️ Apps should know less, and users should control more
This isn't just about hiding stuff it's about empowering users. Imagine:
DeFi protocols that can verify your creditworthiness without exposing your entire portfolio
Voting systems where your choice stays private, but the outcome is publicly verifiable
Healthcare dApps that let you share only specific records with a provider
This shift is already in motion thanks to things like confidential compute, zero-knowledge proofs, and secure enclaves. Privacy is moving on-chain in a smart way.
Web3 doesn’t need to trade transparency for privacy it can have both. We just need better tools, and better defaults.
If you’ve felt weird about how “transparent” crypto is, or if you think privacy should be a right, not a feature—this new wave of “Smart Privacy” tech is worth keeping an eye on.
🔗 Blog for those curious: https://oasis.net/blog/smart-privacy-data-protection-web3
What are your thoughts can Web3 finally fix privacy?
Top comments (4)
Oasis is building smart privacy solutions into the core of Web3 and AI, with tools like:
Sapphire: the first and only confidential EVM in production, enabling encrypted smart contracts.
Privacy-preserving data sharing via trusted execution environments (TEEs), zero-knowledge proofs, and more.
Private AI & DeAI tools that allow developers to build AI systems using sensitive data without exposing it.
They’re not just talking privacy, they’re shipping it!
In a space that’s historically traded privacy for transparency, Oasis is proving we can have both.
Let me know if you want a breakdown of how Sapphire or DeAI works - it’s fascinating stuff.
Privacy should be programmable - this vision is the point of difference between Oasis and other projects tinkering with privacy. Because there cannot be a blanket pre-determined logic applicable to all and sundry. Each dApp being developed, each project integrating confidentiality has unique needs. So, when customizable confidentiality solutions are possible, privacy is indeed smart. This is the essential element with which the web3 of the future will be built, imo.
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