As institutions move on-chain and privacy becomes a growing concern, zero-knowledge technology is emerging as a critical building block for the next generation of the internet.

This week on Privacy Podcast, host Ben Schiller sits down with Eli Ben-Sasson, CEO and Co-Founder of StarkWare, mathematician, entrepreneur, and one of the pioneers behind zero-knowledge technology.

Eli, one of the founders of Zcash, discusses his new book on ZK proofs, why blockchain and zero-knowledge technology are fundamentally changing how trust is established online, and how privacy, scalability, and integrity can coexist in the digital world.

From Zcash to Starknet to the future of institutional adoption, Eli shares his vision for an internet where users have greater control over their identity, assets, and data.

"Technology in service of people, empowering them, giving them a place to basically ground their own reputation, finances, ownership, life." — Eli Ben-Sasson

What We Cover:

• Why zero-knowledge technology complements blockchain
• How ZK can improve privacy, scalability, and trust online
• The inspiration behind Eli's new book on zero-knowledge proofs
• The evolution of Zcash and the growing demand for privacy solutions
• Why institutions increasingly view privacy as a requirement for on-chain adoption
• StarkWare's new privacy innovations, including Stark BTC and Stark20
• The challenges of balancing privacy and user experience
• How academics can successfully transition into entrepreneurship
• Why crypto infrastructure continues to advance regardless of market cycles
• What the future of ZK could look like in everyday life

Why This Matters

As more financial activity, digital identity, and business operations move on-chain, privacy is becoming one of the most important challenges facing blockchain technology. Zero-knowledge proofs offer a path toward maintaining trust and transparency while protecting sensitive information. The technologies being built today could help shape how people transact, communicate, and establish trust online for decades to come.

Connect With Eli Ben-Sasson

• LinkedIn: Eli Ben-Sasson
• X (Twitter): @EliBenSasson
• StarkWare: StarkWare Official Website
• Starknet: Starknet Official Website
• The Stark Book: The Stark Book Website
  
  

About the Show

The Privacy Podcast by Miden explores the intersection of privacy, identity, and emerging technologies. Hosted by Ben Schiller, the show brings together builders, regulators, and thinkers shaping what comes next in a world where data is power.

Executive Producer Michele Musso
Edited by the Musso Media Team
Music: licensed.
All rights reserved. ©2026 Musso Media

TRM Labs researcher Liam Glennon joins Ben Schiller to explore why privacy is becoming a critical feature for institutional crypto adoption, and how the industry is working to balance confidentiality, security, and regulatory compliance.

In this episode of Privacy Podcast, host Ben Schiller sits down with Liam Glennon, researcher and analyst at TRM Labs, to discuss the findings from his latest report examining how privacy technologies are evolving across the digital asset ecosystem.

Liam explains why institutional investors, regulators, blockchain builders, and financial institutions are increasingly focused on privacy, not as a way to avoid oversight, but as a necessary component of security, competitiveness, and mainstream adoption. The conversation explores emerging privacy frameworks, including view keys, selective disclosure, membership proofs, and zero-knowledge technologies, along with the tradeoffs that come with each approach.

The discussion also challenges one of crypto's longest-held assumptions: that complete transparency automatically leads to greater security. Using examples such as major blockchain exploits and evolving institutional use cases, Liam argues that privacy can actually strengthen security by limiting the information available to attackers while still enabling compliance when necessary.

From stablecoins and tokenized assets to regulatory expectations and the future of digital identity, this episode offers a thoughtful look at how privacy infrastructure may shape the next phase of blockchain adoption.

Why This Matters

• Why institutions are increasingly demanding privacy solutions in blockchain environments
• The difference between privacy and anonymity in modern crypto systems
• How view keys enable selective disclosure for compliance purposes
• Why transparency can sometimes create security vulnerabilities
• The role of zero-knowledge proofs in future financial systems
• How regulators are approaching privacy-preserving technologies
• Why stablecoins and tokenized assets may become major drivers of privacy adoption
• The challenges of balancing user confidentiality with anti-money laundering requirements
• How privacy technologies could become the "HTTPS upgrade" for blockchain

What We Cover

• Privacy is evolving from a niche feature into a requirement for institutional blockchain adoption.
• Selective disclosure mechanisms are emerging as a practical bridge between privacy and compliance.
• Security and privacy are increasingly interconnected rather than competing priorities.
• Regulators appear more open to privacy-preserving technologies than many industry participants assume.
• Stablecoins and tokenized assets may accelerate the adoption of privacy infrastructure across financial markets.

Guest

• Liam Glennon on LinkedIn
• TRM Labs
  
  

About the Show

The Privacy Podcast by Miden explores the intersection of privacy, identity, and emerging technologies. Hosted by Ben Schiller, the show brings together builders, regulators, and thinkers shaping what comes next in a world where data is power.

Executive Producer Michele Musso
Edited by the Musso Media Team

Music: licensed.

All rights reserved. ©2026 Musso Media

Can privacy and compliance finally coexist on blockchain networks?

On this episode of The Privacy Podcast, Ben Schiller speaks with Muthu [ Muthuramakrishnan Venkitasubramaniam], CEO and co-founder of Ligero and professor at Georgetown University, about the next evolution of zero knowledge technology and why privacy infrastructure is moving from niche cryptography research into mainstream internet systems.

Muthu explains how his early academic work on zero knowledge proofs unexpectedly became part of Google’s identity stack, why client side proving could reshape digital identity and financial systems, and how privacy preserving compliance may become one of the defining technologies of the next decade.

The conversation explores the tension between decentralization, regulation, usability, and auditability, while also unpacking why privacy infrastructure is no longer just a blockchain issue, but an internet wide issue.

“The same zero knowledge proof that allows you to do private transactions also provides compliance.”

For years, blockchain systems prioritized transparency and decentralization, often at the expense of privacy. But as institutional finance, identity systems, and regulators begin entering the space, the demand for privacy preserving infrastructure is accelerating quickly.

Muthu V. argues that zero knowledge proofs may finally bridge the long standing gap between privacy and compliance. From proving identity without exposing personal data to enabling private payroll systems powered by stablecoins, the episode examines how cryptography is evolving from theory into real world infrastructure.

The discussion also explores Google’s adoption of Ligero related technology for identity verification and why major enterprise adoption may become the tipping point for regulators and mainstream acceptance.

What We Cover

• How Muthu first became fascinated with cryptography and zero knowledge proofs
• Why blockchain accelerated real world adoption of ZK technology
• The difference between public proving systems and client side proving
• Why privacy should happen directly on user devices
• The usability problem facing privacy infrastructure today
• How zero knowledge proofs can provide both privacy and compliance
• Why regulators are becoming more interested in ZK systems
• Google’s adoption of Ligero related technology for identity systems
• The future of self sovereign compliance and digital identity
• Why payroll may become one of blockchain’s biggest privacy use cases
• The rise of private stablecoin infrastructure and composable finance
• Why Muthu believes ZK technology will become mainstream internet infrastructure

Why This Matters

Privacy is quickly becoming one of the most important infrastructure conversations in technology.

As more financial activity, identity systems, and personal data move online, traditional models of surveillance based compliance are becoming increasingly difficult to scale. Zero knowledge systems introduce a new framework where users can prove compliance without surrendering unnecessary personal information.

The implications stretch far beyond crypto.

From digital IDs and payroll systems to banking, healthcare, and online authentication, privacy preserving cryptography may fundamentally reshape how trust operates across the internet.

Guest Muthu V. is the CEO and co-founder of Ligero and a professor at Georgetown University specializing in cryptography, zero knowledge proofs, and secure computation systems.

🌐 Ligero Official Website

💼 Muthu V. on LinkedIn

💻 Ligero GitHub

About the Show
The Privacy Podcast by Miden explores the intersection of privacy, identity, and emerging technologies. Hosted by Ben Schiller, the show brings together builders, regulators, and thinkers shaping what comes next in a world where data is power.

Executive Producer Michele Musso
Edited by the Musso Media Team
Music: licensed.
All rights reserved. ©2026 Musso Media