In a vibrant Xtalk AMA on 2 May 2024, Kody, Chief Experience Officer at Layer One X, led a global crew of Web3 innovators to tackle privacy in DeFi and blockchain. Co-hosted by Inna—and supported by Community Mod Sam, this session blended education, networking, and raw passion. With panelists spanning Dubai to Thailand, the lineup featured PlayerChain, Oasis, Elixir, ZK Moon, Multipool, Amplify, FightMe, Kodex, Castle of Blackwater, ZKM, and Rivals. Here’s the recap.
The Warm-Up: A Worldwide Stage
Panelists introduced their gigs: PlayerChain’s Dub preps a multi-chain gaming subnet, Oasis’ Will builds confidential EVMs, Elixir’s Cole powers order book liquidity, ZK Moon’s Aarya demystifies zero-knowledge tech, Multipool’s Steve crafts a fully on-chain DEX, Amplify’s Jeff optimizes cross-chain yields, FightMe’s Nikki cooks a Web3 brawler, Kodex’s Jungo aims for the next Fortnite, Castle of Blackwater’s LM rethinks play-to-earn, ZKM’s Pavle links L2s with ZK proofs, and Rivals’ rep fuses AI with cross-chain data.
Question 1: Decentralization’s Weak Spots
Kody fired the first shot: Can miners, whales, or governments compromise “decentralized” privacy? Multipool’s Steve dropped a bomb—Ethereum’s four relays bottleneck everything, with no incentive to decentralize further. Castle of Blackwater’s LM pointed at government pressure, citing SEC lawsuits stunting growth. Kodex’s Jungo went deep: Samurai Wallet’s devs face jail for enabling Bitcoin privacy, while Wasabi Wallet pulled U.S. access post-FBI threats. “Governments hate losing control—crypto’s ethos is at stake,” he warned, noting younger users trade privacy for ease. Castle added behavioral tracking risks, and Elixir’s Cole saw DAOs as a legal shield. ZK Moon’s Aarya tied it to India’s WhatsApp encryption fight—privacy’s a decades-old war.
Question 2: Tech to the Rescue
Kody pivoted: What tech can make privacy mainstream? ZK Moon’s Aarya shouted out Reclaim Protocol’s Web2-Web3 ZK proofs (think proving Uber rides anonymously) and ZK-LLMs for private AI healthcare data. Oasis’ Will praised Reclaim’s KYC tricks and pitched Luminex, a confidential cross-chain DEX with a compliance backdoor. Rivals’ rep unveiled their AI data layer with modular NFTs (ERC-6551) and homomorphic encryption—privacy meets usability. Castle hailed Zero Knowledge Network’s mixnet, shielding metadata via decentralized nodes. “Companies won’t jail for you—blockchain must,” they argued. Kody tied it to Layer One X’s digital identity work with OM Chain, onboarding millions with ZK proofs.
The Heartbeat: Education is Key
Across the board, panelists stressed education over tech alone. Jungo urged the group to spread Satoshi’s privacy gospel—convenience can’t trump rights. Aarya saw India’s CBDC push as a wake-up call; users need UX-friendly privacy tools to ditch WhatsApp for Telegram. Cole pushed versatile functionality—privacy with accountability. Kody agreed: “It’s a mindset shift, not just code.”
