In a message published on the X Platform this Monday, October 20, 2025, zero-knowledge cryptography pioneer (ZK Proof) and Zcash co-founder Eli Ben Sasson outlined who should prioritize privacy in Bitcoin. He also commented on who can do without it based on factors such as level of financial exposure, social background and political environment.
Not all Bitcoin users require privacy measures. People who think about virtual currency as follows is a secondary investment, controls an amount of less than $100,000, and resides in a free society Cryptographers say in the X post that it can be operated without major concerns.
In the world of cryptocurrencies, you are considered a small fry (less than $100,000). No one will try to single you out or particularly chase you when there are bigger fish. If this is just a side hustle for you, the impact on your social and financial standing in the world is what you decide to share (rather than what analyzing the blockchain can tell you about you). And like I said, you’re a small fish. If you live in a free society, you won’t be easily harassed by authorities or bullies (unless you talk about it too much or mix with the wrong people, which you shouldn’t do in the first place, and if it does, privacy won’t save you).
Eli Ben Sasson, pioneer of zero-knowledge cryptography,
In this case, the transparency of the cryptocurrency network is not a significant risk. This is only as long as you are in control of what you share. But things change for those who face greater risk.
Ben Sasson identifies three groups that need privacy
First, the company transferring its activities Payroll calculation, purchasing, financial management, etc. To the distributed ledger of the cryptocurrency network. Confidentiality is protected by law here and is essential to our business interests. This group requires high privacy with Bitcoin.
The second is a whale whose financial movements are visible. this If you don’t cover your tracks, you can become a target for attack and exploitation.
Third, users of non-free societies; If a particular Bitcoin transaction could endanger your freedom or even your life.
For these cases, Ben Sasson emphasizes the role of technologies such as STARK, a type of zero-knowledge proof that he himself has promoted, as a viable solution.
Eli Ben-Sasson is a key figure in the field of cryptography and crypto asset technology. An Israeli, he studied computer science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and completed his PhD in 2001 under the supervision of Avi Wigderson.
He then completed postdoctoral studies at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was a professor in the Technion’s Department of Computer Science, and was promoted to full professor in 2015, before leaving academia in 2020.
He is co-founder and president of StarkWare. One of the scientists who founded Zcash, a privacy-focused cryptocurrency.
His contributions include advancing zero-knowledge proofs such as STARK and exploring their applications to improve Bitcoin’s scalability and security. This is a topic he began publicly addressing in 2013.
(Tag translation) Cryptocurrency
