Bitcoin's 'Clock Is Ticking': Why Edward Snowden Issues 'Final Warning'

In comments that have stirred the cryptocurrency community, whistleblower Edward Snowden has once again voiced his concerns over Bitcoin‘s BTC/USD privacy protocols.

What Happened: This reaction comes in the wake of zkSNACKs’ announcement to discontinue its CoinJoin coordination service on Wasabi Wallet, which has been instrumental in enhancing transaction anonymity on the Bitcoin network.

Snowden, a long-standing advocate for robust digital privacy, took to Twitter to express his dismay, emphasizing the necessity for Bitcoin to implement privacy at the protocol level.

“I’ve been warning Bitcoin developers for ten years that privacy needs to be provided for at the protocol level. This is the final warning. The clock is ticking,” Snowden tweeted, signaling an urgent call to action for the cryptocurrency’s development community.

This is not the first time Snowden has highlighted vulnerabilities in Bitcoin's privacy measures.

Over the years, he has consistently pushed for greater anonymity features, pointing out the potential risks and limitations of the platform’s current privacy solutions.

Also Read: Spot Bitcoin ETFs See $34M Net Outflow On Thursday

Why It Matters: The recent developments with Wasabi Wallet underscore the broader challenges facing the cryptocurrency world in balancing regulatory compliance with user privacy.

Wasabi Wallet, known for its privacy-centric features, will cease its CoinJoin services which anonymize transactions by blending multiple coins from different users into a single transaction.

Despite this, the wallet will continue to offer services that enhance privacy to some extent, like Tor integration and custom coin selection.

As the digital asset community continues to evolve, the dialogue around privacy and security is gaining momentum, particularly in how these technologies intersect with user rights and regulatory frameworks.

What’s Next: This topic is likely to be a key discussion point at Benzinga’s upcoming Future of Digital Assets event on November 19, where industry experts will delve into the implications of these changes and explore the future of privacy in digital assets.

Read Next: MicroStrategy Unveils Decentralized Identity Service Built On Bitcoin’s Ordinals Protocol

This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.