In a crypto industry that has largely embraced transparency as the norm, Zano is going in the opposite direction. The project is built on a simple idea: privacy shouldn\u2019t be optional\u200a\u2014\u200ait should be the\u00a0default.<\/p>\n
In a conversation with AltCoinDesk, Quentin Van Welson explains why that distinction matters and how Zano is trying to push privacy beyond a niche use case into something far more practical.<\/p>\n
At first, Zano sounds like something the market has seen before. \u201cThe easiest way to explain it is that it\u2019s a privacy coin,\u201d Quentin says. But he quickly adds that this framing doesn\u2019t quite capture what the project is trying to\u00a0do.<\/p>\n
Zano is a Layer 1 blockchain where users and developers can launch their own tokens\u200a\u2014\u200aexcept those tokens inherit the same built-in privacy as the base network. \u201cYou can tokenize pretty much anything,\u201d he says, \u201cbut with real privacy, not as an\u00a0add-on.\u201d<\/p>\n
That \u201calways-on\u201d aspect is key. Unlike many projects that treat privacy as a feature you can toggle, Zano enforces it at the protocol level. Quentin compares it to Monero, but with a broader scope. The connection isn\u2019t accidental\u200a\u2014\u200athe project\u2019s founder created the Cryptonote codebase that underpins Monero\u00a0itself.<\/p>\n
Quentin is aware of the stigma around privacy coins. The assumption, he says, is that if you want privacy, you must have something to hide. He doesn\u2019t buy that argument.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a simple analogy, but it lands. Traditional banks, for all their flaws, don\u2019t broadcast your transactions to the world. Public blockchains, on the other hand, do exactly that. Networks like Bitcoin and Ethereum make it possible to trace balances and activity\u200a\u2014\u200asometimes all the way back to a real-world identity.<\/p>\n
That visibility isn\u2019t just theoretical. Quentin points to a growing number of real-world incidents where individuals have been targeted because their holdings were publicly exposed<\/a>. Even outside of extreme cases, transparency opens the door to things like front-running and MEV, where others can profit simply by seeing what you\u2019re about to\u00a0do.<\/p>\n For businesses, the problem is just as obvious. \u201cNo company wants its treasury or strategy visible to competitors,\u201d he says. Privacy, in that sense, starts to look less like a luxury and more like a requirement.<\/p>\n One of the long-standing issues with privacy tech is that it tends to slow things down. More privacy usually means more complexity, and more complexity often means worse performance.<\/p>\n Zano is trying to get around that. The network currently runs on a hybrid model but is moving toward full Proof-of-Stake, which Quentin says will make a noticeable difference. The goal is faster blocks, fewer confirmations, and near-instant finality\u200a\u2014\u200acloser to what users expect from modern Layer\u00a01s.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also a more unusual feature already live: Proof-of-Stake with hidden amounts. In simple terms, it lets users stake without revealing how much they hold. It\u2019s the kind of detail that doesn\u2019t grab headlines, but it fits the broader philosophy\u200a\u2014\u200aprivacy shouldn\u2019t stop at transactions.<\/p>\n If there\u2019s one area where Quentin doesn\u2019t hedge, it\u2019s backdoors. The question comes up often in discussions around regulation: should there be some form of access for authorities?<\/p>\n His answer is immediate. \u201cNo. That defeats the entire purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead, Zano leans on selective transparency. Users can choose to share specific information if they need to\u200a\u2014\u200asay, for compliance or auditing\u200a\u2014\u200abut the default remains private. It\u2019s a reversal of how most blockchains work today, where everything is public unless you go out of your way to hide\u00a0it.<\/p>\n At the same time, the team is trying to make the system easier to plug into. A feature called gateway addresses is designed to help exchanges and services integrate with Zano without dealing with the full complexity of a privacy chain. These addresses are transparent and account-based, which brings down the barrier for adoption while keeping user-level privacy\u00a0intact.<\/p>\n Quentin says he sees all of this as part of a broader shift in crypto. Privacy, he argues, was always part of the original vision<\/a>. He points to Satoshi Nakamoto, who discussed privacy concepts in the early days\u200a\u2014\u200aeven if they weren\u2019t fully implemented in Bitcoin\u00a0itself.<\/p>\n Somewhere along the way, the focus changed. The industry leaned into speculation, rapid token launches, and short-term trends. Now, Quentin thinks it\u2019s starting to recalibrate.<\/p>\n There are a few reasons for that. Regulation is tightening. Digital identity systems are becoming more common. Centralized digital currencies are on the horizon. And at the same time, the risks of fully transparent systems are becoming harder to\u00a0ignore.<\/p>\n Zano is betting that this shift will bring privacy back into focus\u200a\u2014\u200anot as a niche, but as a baseline expectation. The roadmap reflects that: better integrations through gateway addresses, faster performance through full Proof-of-Stake, and incentives for developers to build within the ecosystem.<\/p>\n For Quentin, the end goal is straightforward. If Zano can combine speed, flexibility, and strong privacy in one place, it becomes much harder to argue against building on\u00a0it.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we get it right,\u201d he says, \u201cyou won\u2019t have to choose anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n Zano is betting that privacy shouldn\u2019t be something users have to turn on\u200a\u2014\u200ait should come by default. The goal is a blockchain where privacy is built into everything, without sacrificing speed or usability. If it works, you wouldn\u2019t have to choose between using crypto and keeping your activity\u00a0private.<\/p>\n Disclaimer:<\/strong> This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or trading advice. Cryptocurrency investments are subject to high market risk. Readers should conduct their own research or consult with a financial advisor before making any investment decisions. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher.<\/p>\n Originally published at <\/em>https:\/\/altcoindesk.com<\/em><\/a> by <\/em>Aisshwarya Tiwari<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Inside Zano: Why privacy-by-default could define crypto\u2019s next phase | Altcoin Desk<\/a> was originally published in Coinmonks<\/a> on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In a crypto industry that has largely embraced transparency as the norm, Zano is going in the opposite direction. The project is built on a simple idea: privacy shouldn\u2019t be optional\u200a\u2014\u200ait should be the\u00a0default. In a conversation with AltCoinDesk, Quentin Van Welson explains why that distinction matters and how Zano is trying to push privacy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":154968,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-154967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154967"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=154967"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154967\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/154968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=154967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=154967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mycryptomania.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=154967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fixing the old trade-offs<\/h3>\n
Drawing a hard line on backdoors<\/h3>\n
Coming full\u00a0circle<\/h3>\n
Bottom Line<\/h3>\n