DEV Community: Wes Parsons

Building a Privacy-First URL Shortener on Blockchain

Wes Parsons — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:00:02 +0000

Why Traditional URL Shorteners Are a Privacy Nightmare

When you click a bit.ly link, here's what happens:

Bit.ly logs your IP, timestamp, user agent
They see the destination URL
They track your browsing patterns
They sell this data to advertisers

Even if you trust the shortener, their database can be hacked.

Introducing Cryptly

I built cryptly to solve this problem using blockchain and encryption.

How It Works

Encryption (Client-Side)

   const encrypted = await crypto.subtle.encrypt(
     { name: "AES-GCM", iv: iv },
     key,
     urlBuffer
   );

Blockchain Storage
- Encrypted URL stored on Cronos blockchain
- Immutable, decentralized
- No centralized database to hack
Decryption (Browser)
- Browser fetches from blockchain
- Decrypts locally using Web Crypto API
- Server never sees destination

Architecture

Tech Stack:

Cloudflare Workers (serverless, edge deployment)
Web Crypto API (native browser encryption)
Cronos blockchain (decentralized storage)

Privacy Benefits:

✅ Server never sees destination URLs
✅ No tracking, no analytics
✅ No database to leak
✅ Censorship-resistant (blockchain)

Try It

Live demo: cryptly.workers.dev
GitHub: github.com/your-username/cryptly

Still in early stages but feedback welcome!

privacy #blockchain #webdev #opensource

Building a Privacy-First URL Shortener on Blockchain

Wes Parsons — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:00:02 +0000

Why Traditional URL Shorteners Are a Privacy Nightmare

When you click a bit.ly link, here's what happens:

Bit.ly logs your IP, timestamp, user agent
They see the destination URL
They track your browsing patterns
They sell this data to advertisers

Even if you trust the shortener, their database can be hacked.

Introducing Cryptly

I built cryptly to solve this problem using blockchain and encryption.

How It Works

Encryption (Client-Side)

   const encrypted = await crypto.subtle.encrypt(
     { name: "AES-GCM", iv: iv },
     key,
     urlBuffer
   );

Blockchain Storage
- Encrypted URL stored on Cronos blockchain
- Immutable, decentralized
- No centralized database to hack
Decryption (Browser)
- Browser fetches from blockchain
- Decrypts locally using Web Crypto API
- Server never sees destination

Architecture

Tech Stack:

Cloudflare Workers (serverless, edge deployment)
Web Crypto API (native browser encryption)
Cronos blockchain (decentralized storage)

Privacy Benefits:

✅ Server never sees destination URLs
✅ No tracking, no analytics
✅ No database to leak
✅ Censorship-resistant (blockchain)

Try It

Live demo: cryptly.workers.dev
GitHub: github.com/your-username/cryptly

Still in early stages but feedback welcome!

privacy #blockchain #webdev #opensource

Building a Privacy-First URL Shortener on Blockchain

Wes Parsons — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:00:02 +0000

Why Traditional URL Shorteners Are a Privacy Nightmare

When you click a bit.ly link, here's what happens:

Bit.ly logs your IP, timestamp, user agent
They see the destination URL
They track your browsing patterns
They sell this data to advertisers

Even if you trust the shortener, their database can be hacked.

Introducing Cryptly

I built cryptly to solve this problem using blockchain and encryption.

How It Works

Encryption (Client-Side)

   const encrypted = await crypto.subtle.encrypt(
     { name: "AES-GCM", iv: iv },
     key,
     urlBuffer
   );

Blockchain Storage
- Encrypted URL stored on Cronos blockchain
- Immutable, decentralized
- No centralized database to hack
Decryption (Browser)
- Browser fetches from blockchain
- Decrypts locally using Web Crypto API
- Server never sees destination

Architecture

Tech Stack:

Cloudflare Workers (serverless, edge deployment)
Web Crypto API (native browser encryption)
Cronos blockchain (decentralized storage)

Privacy Benefits:

✅ Server never sees destination URLs
✅ No tracking, no analytics
✅ No database to leak
✅ Censorship-resistant (blockchain)

Try It

Live demo: cryptly.workers.dev
GitHub: github.com/your-username/cryptly

Still in early stages but feedback welcome!

privacy #blockchain #webdev #opensource

Building a Privacy-First URL Shortener on Blockchain

Wes Parsons — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:00:02 +0000

Why Traditional URL Shorteners Are a Privacy Nightmare

When you click a bit.ly link, here's what happens:

Bit.ly logs your IP, timestamp, user agent
They see the destination URL
They track your browsing patterns
They sell this data to advertisers

Even if you trust the shortener, their database can be hacked.

Introducing Cryptly

I built cryptly to solve this problem using blockchain and encryption.

How It Works

Encryption (Client-Side)

   const encrypted = await crypto.subtle.encrypt(
     { name: "AES-GCM", iv: iv },
     key,
     urlBuffer
   );

Blockchain Storage
- Encrypted URL stored on Cronos blockchain
- Immutable, decentralized
- No centralized database to hack
Decryption (Browser)
- Browser fetches from blockchain
- Decrypts locally using Web Crypto API
- Server never sees destination

Architecture

Tech Stack:

Cloudflare Workers (serverless, edge deployment)
Web Crypto API (native browser encryption)
Cronos blockchain (decentralized storage)

Privacy Benefits:

✅ Server never sees destination URLs
✅ No tracking, no analytics
✅ No database to leak
✅ Censorship-resistant (blockchain)

Try It

Live demo: cryptly.workers.dev
GitHub: github.com/your-username/cryptly

Still in early stages but feedback welcome!

privacy #blockchain #webdev #opensource

Building a Privacy-First URL Shortener on Blockchain

Wes Parsons — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:00:02 +0000

Why Traditional URL Shorteners Are a Privacy Nightmare

When you click a bit.ly link, here's what happens:

Bit.ly logs your IP, timestamp, user agent
They see the destination URL
They track your browsing patterns
They sell this data to advertisers

Even if you trust the shortener, their database can be hacked.

Introducing Cryptly

I built cryptly to solve this problem using blockchain and encryption.

How It Works

Encryption (Client-Side)

   const encrypted = await crypto.subtle.encrypt(
     { name: "AES-GCM", iv: iv },
     key,
     urlBuffer
   );

Blockchain Storage
- Encrypted URL stored on Cronos blockchain
- Immutable, decentralized
- No centralized database to hack
Decryption (Browser)
- Browser fetches from blockchain
- Decrypts locally using Web Crypto API
- Server never sees destination

Architecture

Tech Stack:

Cloudflare Workers (serverless, edge deployment)
Web Crypto API (native browser encryption)
Cronos blockchain (decentralized storage)

Privacy Benefits:

✅ Server never sees destination URLs
✅ No tracking, no analytics
✅ No database to leak
✅ Censorship-resistant (blockchain)

Try It

Live demo: cryptly.workers.dev
GitHub: github.com/your-username/cryptly

Still in early stages but feedback welcome!

privacy #blockchain #webdev #opensource

Building a Privacy-First URL Shortener on Blockchain

Wes Parsons — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:00:02 +0000

Why Traditional URL Shorteners Are a Privacy Nightmare

When you click a bit.ly link, here's what happens:

Bit.ly logs your IP, timestamp, user agent
They see the destination URL
They track your browsing patterns
They sell this data to advertisers

Even if you trust the shortener, their database can be hacked.

Introducing Cryptly

I built cryptly to solve this problem using blockchain and encryption.

How It Works

Encryption (Client-Side)

   const encrypted = await crypto.subtle.encrypt(
     { name: "AES-GCM", iv: iv },
     key,
     urlBuffer
   );

Blockchain Storage
- Encrypted URL stored on Cronos blockchain
- Immutable, decentralized
- No centralized database to hack
Decryption (Browser)
- Browser fetches from blockchain
- Decrypts locally using Web Crypto API
- Server never sees destination

Architecture

Tech Stack:

Cloudflare Workers (serverless, edge deployment)
Web Crypto API (native browser encryption)
Cronos blockchain (decentralized storage)

Privacy Benefits:

✅ Server never sees destination URLs
✅ No tracking, no analytics
✅ No database to leak
✅ Censorship-resistant (blockchain)

Try It

Live demo: cryptly.workers.dev
GitHub: github.com/your-username/cryptly

Still in early stages but feedback welcome!

privacy #blockchain #webdev #opensource

Building a Privacy-First URL Shortener on Blockchain

Wes Parsons — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:00:02 +0000

Why Traditional URL Shorteners Are a Privacy Nightmare

When you click a bit.ly link, here's what happens:

Bit.ly logs your IP, timestamp, user agent
They see the destination URL
They track your browsing patterns
They sell this data to advertisers

Even if you trust the shortener, their database can be hacked.

Introducing Cryptly

I built cryptly to solve this problem using blockchain and encryption.

How It Works

Encryption (Client-Side)

   const encrypted = await crypto.subtle.encrypt(
     { name: "AES-GCM", iv: iv },
     key,
     urlBuffer
   );

Blockchain Storage
- Encrypted URL stored on Cronos blockchain
- Immutable, decentralized
- No centralized database to hack
Decryption (Browser)
- Browser fetches from blockchain
- Decrypts locally using Web Crypto API
- Server never sees destination

Architecture

Tech Stack:

Cloudflare Workers (serverless, edge deployment)
Web Crypto API (native browser encryption)
Cronos blockchain (decentralized storage)

Privacy Benefits:

✅ Server never sees destination URLs
✅ No tracking, no analytics
✅ No database to leak
✅ Censorship-resistant (blockchain)

Try It

Live demo: cryptly.workers.dev
GitHub: github.com/your-username/cryptly

Still in early stages but feedback welcome!

privacy #blockchain #webdev #opensource

Building a Privacy-First URL Shortener on Blockchain

Wes Parsons — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 16:44:29 +0000

Why Traditional URL Shorteners Are a Privacy Nightmare

When you click a bit.ly link, here's what happens:

Bit.ly logs your IP, timestamp, user agent
They see the destination URL
They track your browsing patterns
They sell this data to advertisers

Even if you trust the shortener, their database can be hacked.

Introducing Cryptly

I built cryptly to solve this problem using blockchain and encryption.

How It Works

Encryption (Client-Side)

   const encrypted = await crypto.subtle.encrypt(
     { name: "AES-GCM", iv: iv },
     key,
     urlBuffer
   );

Blockchain Storage
- Encrypted URL stored on Cronos blockchain
- Immutable, decentralized
- No centralized database to hack
Decryption (Browser)
- Browser fetches from blockchain
- Decrypts locally using Web Crypto API
- Server never sees destination

Architecture

Tech Stack:

Cloudflare Workers (serverless, edge deployment)
Web Crypto API (native browser encryption)
Cronos blockchain (decentralized storage)

Privacy Benefits:

✅ Server never sees destination URLs
✅ No tracking, no analytics
✅ No database to leak
✅ Censorship-resistant (blockchain)

Try It

Live demo: cryptly.workers.dev
GitHub: github.com/your-username/cryptly

Still in early stages but feedback welcome!

privacy #blockchain #webdev #opensource

Building a Privacy-First URL Shortener on Blockchain

Wes Parsons — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 09:00:03 +0000

Why Traditional URL Shorteners Are a Privacy Nightmare

When you click a bit.ly link, here's what happens:

Bit.ly logs your IP, timestamp, user agent
They see the destination URL
They track your browsing patterns
They sell this data to advertisers

Even if you trust the shortener, their database can be hacked.

Introducing Cryptly

I built cryptly to solve this problem using blockchain and encryption.

How It Works

Encryption (Client-Side)

   const encrypted = await crypto.subtle.encrypt(
     { name: "AES-GCM", iv: iv },
     key,
     urlBuffer
   );

Blockchain Storage
- Encrypted URL stored on Cronos blockchain
- Immutable, decentralized
- No centralized database to hack
Decryption (Browser)
- Browser fetches from blockchain
- Decrypts locally using Web Crypto API
- Server never sees destination

Architecture

Tech Stack:

Cloudflare Workers (serverless, edge deployment)
Web Crypto API (native browser encryption)
Cronos blockchain (decentralized storage)

Privacy Benefits:

✅ Server never sees destination URLs
✅ No tracking, no analytics
✅ No database to leak
✅ Censorship-resistant (blockchain)

Try It

Live demo: cryptly.workers.dev
GitHub: github.com/your-username/cryptly

Still in early stages but feedback welcome!

privacy #blockchain #webdev #opensource

Building a Privacy-First URL Shortener on Blockchain

Wes Parsons — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 09:00:05 +0000

Why Traditional URL Shorteners Are a Privacy Nightmare

When you click a bit.ly link, here's what happens:

Bit.ly logs your IP, timestamp, user agent
They see the destination URL
They track your browsing patterns
They sell this data to advertisers

Even if you trust the shortener, their database can be hacked.

Introducing Cryptly

I built cryptly to solve this problem using blockchain and encryption.

How It Works

Encryption (Client-Side)

   const encrypted = await crypto.subtle.encrypt(
     { name: "AES-GCM", iv: iv },
     key,
     urlBuffer
   );

Blockchain Storage
- Encrypted URL stored on Cronos blockchain
- Immutable, decentralized
- No centralized database to hack
Decryption (Browser)
- Browser fetches from blockchain
- Decrypts locally using Web Crypto API
- Server never sees destination

Architecture

Tech Stack:

Cloudflare Workers (serverless, edge deployment)
Web Crypto API (native browser encryption)
Cronos blockchain (decentralized storage)

Privacy Benefits:

✅ Server never sees destination URLs
✅ No tracking, no analytics
✅ No database to leak
✅ Censorship-resistant (blockchain)

Try It

Live demo: cryptly.workers.dev
GitHub: github.com/your-username/cryptly

Still in early stages but feedback welcome!

privacy #blockchain #webdev #opensource

Building a Privacy-First URL Shortener on Blockchain

Wes Parsons — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 09:00:01 +0000

Why Traditional URL Shorteners Are a Privacy Nightmare

When you click a bit.ly link, here's what happens:

Bit.ly logs your IP, timestamp, user agent
They see the destination URL
They track your browsing patterns
They sell this data to advertisers

Even if you trust the shortener, their database can be hacked.

Introducing Cryptly

I built cryptly to solve this problem using blockchain and encryption.

How It Works

Encryption (Client-Side)

   const encrypted = await crypto.subtle.encrypt(
     { name: "AES-GCM", iv: iv },
     key,
     urlBuffer
   );

Blockchain Storage
- Encrypted URL stored on Cronos blockchain
- Immutable, decentralized
- No centralized database to hack
Decryption (Browser)
- Browser fetches from blockchain
- Decrypts locally using Web Crypto API
- Server never sees destination

Architecture

Tech Stack:

Cloudflare Workers (serverless, edge deployment)
Web Crypto API (native browser encryption)
Cronos blockchain (decentralized storage)

Privacy Benefits:

✅ Server never sees destination URLs
✅ No tracking, no analytics
✅ No database to leak
✅ Censorship-resistant (blockchain)

Try It

Live demo: cryptly.workers.dev
GitHub: github.com/your-username/cryptly

Still in early stages but feedback welcome!

privacy #blockchain #webdev #opensource

Building a Privacy-First URL Shortener on Blockchain

Wes Parsons — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 09:00:05 +0000

Why Traditional URL Shorteners Are a Privacy Nightmare

When you click a bit.ly link, here's what happens:

Bit.ly logs your IP, timestamp, user agent
They see the destination URL
They track your browsing patterns
They sell this data to advertisers

Even if you trust the shortener, their database can be hacked.

Introducing Cryptly

I built cryptly to solve this problem using blockchain and encryption.

How It Works

Encryption (Client-Side)

   const encrypted = await crypto.subtle.encrypt(
     { name: "AES-GCM", iv: iv },
     key,
     urlBuffer
   );

Blockchain Storage
- Encrypted URL stored on Cronos blockchain
- Immutable, decentralized
- No centralized database to hack
Decryption (Browser)
- Browser fetches from blockchain
- Decrypts locally using Web Crypto API
- Server never sees destination

Architecture

Tech Stack:

Cloudflare Workers (serverless, edge deployment)
Web Crypto API (native browser encryption)
Cronos blockchain (decentralized storage)

Privacy Benefits:

✅ Server never sees destination URLs
✅ No tracking, no analytics
✅ No database to leak
✅ Censorship-resistant (blockchain)

Try It

Live demo: cryptly.workers.dev
GitHub: github.com/your-username/cryptly

Still in early stages but feedback welcome!

privacy #blockchain #webdev #opensource