Ethereum

**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.

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.

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-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 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)

**Aztec Network**, a privacy-focused Layer 2 solution for Ethereum, is approaching launch after nearly a decade in development. **Key Features:** - End-to-end privacy for smart contracts and dApps - Client-side proofs for enhanced security - Zero-knowledge technology enabling fully confidential transactions **Backing:** Supported by major investors including Paradigm and Coinbase Ventures, with over $119M raised. Learn more at [aztec.network/projects](https://aztec.network/projects)

**Kohaku** is emerging as a significant privacy development for Ethereum, offering a plug-and-play solution that allows any wallet to integrate advanced privacy features. **Key Features:** - Integrates **Railgun** and **Privacy Pools** implementations - Enables wallets to add privacy capabilities without building from scratch - Designed for seamless integration across the Ethereum ecosystem The toolkit represents a shift toward making privacy more accessible and standardized across different wallet providers. Rather than each wallet developing proprietary privacy solutions, Kohaku provides a unified framework that can be adopted broadly. For technical details and implementation specifics, developers can review the [presentation on Kohaku's architecture](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSEDY2W9d8A). The development is part of a broader trend toward "privacy by default" on Ethereum, with the toolkit expected to launch in 2025 alongside features like private transactions and IP-hiding capabilities.

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.

**Ethereum's Fusaka upgrade is now live on mainnet** after activating at epoch 411392 on December 3rd at 21:49 UTC. The upgrade implements **13 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs)** that bring significant scaling and user experience improvements: - **PeerDAS unlocks 8x data throughput** for rollups, enabling cheaper blob fees and faster confirmations - **R1 curve support** enables mobile-native passkeys and simpler signatures for better wallet UX - **Based pre-confirmations** reduce transaction latency from minutes to milliseconds - **Gas limit increase** from 45M to 60M expands network capacity - **New per-transaction gas cap** of 2^24 requires developer attention **Key upcoming dates:** - BPO1: December 9th - BPO2: January 7th Community members continue monitoring the network for any issues over the next 24 hours following the successful activation.

The Ethereum Foundation has announced its Q3 2025 grant recipients, showcasing the latest wave of funded projects and community initiatives. The quarterly funding round supported various projects advancing Ethereum's ecosystem development and innovation. **Key highlights:** - Multiple projects received funding to advance Ethereum technology - Community initiatives were prioritized in the selection process - Grant recipients are working on diverse aspects of the ecosystem The foundation continues its commitment to supporting developers and researchers building on Ethereum's infrastructure. This marks another significant quarter of ecosystem investment and community growth.