The US Treasury Department has removed sanctions on Tornado Cash, the Ethereum-based privacy protocol, in March 2025. The sanctions were originally imposed in 2022.
Key Points:
- Tornado Cash is a coin mixing service that enables private transactions on Ethereum
- The protocol was sanctioned by US Treasury in 2022
- Sanctions were officially lifted in March 2025, marking a significant policy reversal
- This represents a major shift in regulatory approach to privacy-focused crypto tools
The removal of sanctions could have implications for how regulators view privacy protocols in the cryptocurrency space going forward.
13/ The OG privacy pool is @TornadoCash. It was famously sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in 2022 but these sanctions were removed in March 2025.
ZKPass Launches Privacy Protocol for Onchain Identity Verification

**ZKPass**, a privacy-preserving identity protocol built on Ethereum, enables users to prove information about themselves without revealing underlying data. **How it works:** - Powered by zkTLS protocol ensuring personal data never leaves your device - Browser establishes private TLS session with data sources - Converts results into zero-knowledge proofs that others can verify without seeing the actual data - Scoring algorithm and signal weights are fully transparent and open source **Key features:** - Secure verification of credentials onchain - Personal information remains private by default - Anyone can build on top of the protocol The project recently announced details about a $ZKP pre-sale on Kaito Capital Launchpad.
Ethereum Foundation Publishes Official Mandate Document
The Ethereum Foundation has released its **EF Mandate**, a comprehensive document that functions as a constitution, manifesto, and operational guide for the organization. The mandate is primarily intended as an internal framework to clarify the Foundation's purpose and direction. It outlines the EF's core mission and responsibilities within the Ethereum ecosystem. The full document is available at ethereum.foundation/ef-mandate.pdf for those interested in understanding the Foundation's formal structure and objectives.
Neo-Cypherpunks Push Forward Privacy Initiatives on Ethereum
The Neo-Cypherpunk movement is actively working to enhance privacy protections on Ethereum. This community-driven effort bridges technical and cultural contributions, emphasizing that both are equally valuable in advancing privacy goals. **Key Points:** - Neo-Cypherpunks are focused on making Ethereum safer for privacy-conscious users - The movement values cultural communication alongside technical development - Community members can get involved through organizations like [@web3privacy](https://twitter.com/web3privacy), [@winprivacy](https://twitter.com/winprivacy), and [@ETHPanda_Org](https://twitter.com/ETHPanda_Org) The initiative represents a collaborative approach to privacy, welcoming contributors regardless of their technical background.
Privacy Projects Struggle for Funding Despite Growing Participation in Public Goods Rounds

Privacy-focused projects in the web3 space face ongoing financial challenges, despite recent participation from over 100 projects in public goods funding rounds on Gitcoin and Octant. **Key Points:** - Projects like [Rotki](https://rotkiapp.io) and [Fileverse](https://fileverse.io) struggle to maintain operations - Over 100 privacy projects participated in recent pro-privacy funding rounds - Gitcoin's GG24 Privacy Domain round opened applications for privacy-preserving tools, protocols, and infrastructure **The Situation:** Despite the critical importance of privacy infrastructure, many projects building privacy-preserving technology face sustainability challenges. The community is being called upon to directly support these initiatives through wallet contributions. The recent funding rounds on platforms like Gitcoin and Octant represent an opportunity for privacy projects to secure resources, but the broader issue of long-term sustainability remains unresolved.
Vitalik Buterin and Tor Project Discuss Integrating Privacy Network into Ethereum
Vitalik Buterin and Roger Dingledine from the Tor Project discussed integrating Tor into Ethereum's infrastructure, marking a significant step in addressing the network's privacy challenges. This conversation follows growing recognition that Ethereum's development is part of the broader fight for digital rights. The discussion builds on recent privacy proposals, including: - A comprehensive privacy overhaul plan by @pcaversaccio titled "Ethereum Privacy: The Road to Self-Sovereignty" - Buterin's "Maximally simple L1 privacy roadmap" focusing on four practical, near-term privacy objectives The Ethereum community increasingly acknowledges the need for what some call a "privacy glow-up" - fundamental improvements to user privacy on the network. [Watch the full discussion](https://archive.org/details/vitalik-buterin-roger-dingledine-on-integrating-tor-into-ethereum-ethereum-privacy-stack)