This research has been done in an attempt to visualise and map the Privacy Ecosystem of Ethereum with a human-centric approach, catering to the end-users first. We believe that privacy has to go beyond tribalism. Tools should be exactly that - tools, that masses can incorporate and integrate into their day-to-day lives. Our goal thus has been to structure this whole map with end-users in mind.
The structure goes from organisations that are doing great work in advocating for privacy and digital rights as well as spreading the education and knowledge. They are doing so in easily accessible language which can do important work in implementing privacy protective habits and help users easily navigate the field.
Then we proceed to the applications, because they are what matter to the users most. Easy to use and connect to apps, with nice and simple UI that everyone and their friends and families can start using. Be it Wallets and means for safe and private transactions, VPNs to hide one's IP address or Messengers to chat with your close ones.
We also understand that with new apps and knowledge that sparks curiosity, one might want to dive deeper into the whole world of DAOs and contribute to the ecosystem. In the same spirit, without solid infrastructure, tooling and labs, there would be no applications at all. So the whole structure follows in this spirit, almost like moving from the tip of the iceberg down to its base, this map covers what there is to know and keep on the radar. Communities and social events included.
In short, we apply a human-centric approach to mapping by putting applications as the starting point of Ethereum privacy activity. Only afterwards we follow up with the tech layer from EIPs to SDKs. This helps to decenter privacy from inward-tech view without adoption & focus on projects, initiatives in need of privacy.
Watch Ethereum Privacy Roadmap by Andy Guzman x Lead at Privacy Stewards of Ethereum @ Ethereum Privacy Stack, Devconnect 2025
Think we are missing something? Let us know!
Advocacy focuses on promoting policies and practices that enhance privacy protections in the Ethereum ecosystem.
These organisations focus on promoting policies and practices that support digital privacy rights and technological advancements.
Coin Center - Advocates for smart crypto and privacy laws.
Web3Privacy Now - Promotes privacy tools for Web3 users.
Privacy Guardians - Shares updates on digital privacy and rights.
Womxn in Privacy - Supports women leaders in privacy technology.
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) - Defends digital privacy and free speech rights.
The Institutional Privacy Task Force (IPTF) is a dedicated team that helps onboard institutions and enterprises onto Ethereum, with a focus on ensuring their privacy needs are met in a performant, secure, usable, and accessible way.
Watch head of IPTF's Oskar Thorin talk on Institutional privacy meets Ethereum. And follow up panel feat Zach Obront (Etherealize), Amzah Moelah (ABN AMRO), Eugenio Reggianini (European Blockchain Association), Francois Garillot (Miden).
This category includes applications that prioritize user privacy, enabling secure interactions and transactions within the Ethereum network.
Wallets allow users to securely store and manage their cryptocurrency assets while enhancing privacy and anonymity.
Railway - DeFi wallet using zero-knowledge proofs to shield transactions and balances on Ethereum and other chains.
Frame - privacy-first desktop wallet that runs natively on your computer with full control over your keys and connections.
Rabby - browser extension wallet designed for DeFi users with advanced transaction previewing and multi-chain support.
Brume - non-custodial Ethereum wallet focused on privacy through built-in mixing and anonymous transaction capabilities.
Hinkal - privacy protocol enabling confidential DeFi transactions while maintaining compliance and protecting user data.
Terminal Wallet - Web3 wallet designed for seamless and secure interaction with decentralized applications.
Token Shielder - shields token transfers and balances using zero-knowledge cryptography.
Kohaku Wallet - privacy-focused wallet solution for managing digital assets with enhanced security features.
Watch Vitalik Buterin, Nicolas Consigny & Kassandra "Kohaku: wallet privacy on Ethereum" @ Ethereum Cypherpunk Congress 2, Buenos Aires
Spotlight: Walletbeat - public good project that brings transparency to the Ethereum wallet ecosystem.
This category includes tools that facilitate private and secure transactions on the Ethereum network.
Railgun - privacy system for DeFi that uses zero-knowledge proofs to shield balances and transactions across multiple chains.
Privacy Pools - transaction protocol that enables anonymous swaps and transfers on Ethereum by 0xBow.io
Tornado Cash - decentralized protocol that breaks the on-chain link between source and destination addresses using smart contracts.
zkbob - privacy-preserving stablecoin protocol enabling confidential transfers using zero-knowledge technology.
Veil Cash - protocol for anonymous cryptocurrency transactions with enhanced obfuscation techniques.
Fairblock - Decentralized censorship-resistant ordering using MPC.
Blanksquare - Composable privacy tooling using zero-knowledge technology and TEE.
Stealth addresses help enhance privacy by allowing users to generate unique, untraceable addresses for transactions.
Fluidkey - Stealth address protocol for Ethereum that generates unique addresses for each transaction to protect recipient privacy.
Umbra - Protocol for sending anonymous payments on Ethereum using stealth addresses that only recipients can access.
Night - Privacy solution utilizing stealth addresses to enable untraceable cryptocurrency transactions.
STELS - Stealth address implementation providing enhanced transaction privacy through one-time addresses.
dstealth - Decentralized stealth address system for private peer-to-peer cryptocurrency transfers.
Curvy - Privacy tool leveraging stealth addresses and cryptographic techniques for anonymous transactions.
Portfolio management tools help users track their cryptocurrency assets and investments while prioritizing privacy.
Rotki - An open-source portfolio tracker that runs locally on your computer, keeping all financial data private and encrypted.
Storage solutions enable secure and private file storage on Ethereum and decentralized networks.
Swarm - Open-source and decentralized storage and communication system providing censorship-resistant data hosting for Ethereum.
Logos Storage - A decentralized storage network with built-in privacy features and durability guarantees for Web3 applications.
Arcana - Web3 infrastructure platform offering decentralized storage with privacy-preserving access control mechanisms.
VPN services enhance privacy and security when accessing the Ethereum network and other online resources.
Nym - A mixnet protocol providing network-level privacy by obscuring metadata and protecting against surveillance.
GnosisVPN - Decentralized VPN service built on blockchain technology for private and censorship-resistant internet access.
MASQ dMeshVPN - Mesh VPN network that routes traffic through nodes to protect user privacy and anonymity.
Privacy-focused messengers provide secure communication channels for users within the Ethereum ecosystem.
Status - Secure messaging app and Web3 browser with end-to-end encryption built on Ethereum principles.
Session - Decentralized private messaging app, minimizing metadata.
Watch "Decentralization Protects Privacy in Messaging" by Chris McCabe from Session @ Ethereum Privacy Stack, Devconnect
Decentralized document solutions facilitate secure and private document management.
ddocs - Decentralized document management system enabling private, encrypted storage and sharing of files.
Peer-to-peer offramp solutions facilitate anonymous conversions of cryptocurrency to fiat.
ZKP2P - Peer-to-peer fiat-to-crypto onramp using zero-knowledge proofs to maintain privacy during transactions
Innovative mining projects focus on privacy-preserving mechanisms for cryptocurrency mining.
WORM - A privacy-focused mining protocol utilizing proof-of-burn mechanisms for fair token distribution.
Identity and Governance involve tools and frameworks that allow users to manage their digital identities and maintain control over their personal data.
These projects focus on providing identity solutions through privacy-preserving technologies.
Rarimo
A permissionless ZK identity & registry protocol.
Human.tech
Privacy-preserving human identity + wallet infrastructure.
ZKPassport
Zero-knowledge identity & data proof protocol.
Zupass
A project for managing Proof-Carrying Data (PCD) with privacy features.
Onflow
A decentralized identity protocol focusing on secure identity management.
Reclaim Protocol
Web2 to Web3 verified credentials via ZK proofs.
Opacity Network
A ZKP protocol for proving anything without revealing the details.
Self Protocol
A privacy-preserving identity solution leveraging zero-knowledge proofs.
Projects under this category focus on privacy solutions specific to decentralized autonomous organizations. Explore The State of Private Voting report by Shutter & PSE here
MACI
Minimum Anti-Collusion Infrastructure.
DaVinci
A zk-SNARK-based voting protocol designed for secure and anonymous voting.
Privote
A DAO privacy-focused voting solution.
Zupoll
A platform for secure and anonymous voting in DAOs.
This category covers tools and resources that aim to set standards for identity and privacy in Web3.
W3PN Explorer
Dashboard featuring 780+ projects promising decentralised privacy & scoring them
W3PN Builder Pack
A toolkit for developers building privacy-first projects.
Walletbeat
An open repository of EVM-compatible wallets.
Infrastructure encompasses the foundational technologies and protocols that support privacy-enhancing solutions for Ethereum.
Aztec
Private-by-default zkRollup for Ethereum.
TEN (Threshold Encryption Network)
Encrypted mempool and private smart contracts.
INTMAX
Stateless zkRollup focused on scalability and privacy.
COTI
Layer-1 with privacy-preserving shielded transactions.
Shinobi.cash
Cross-chain privacy protocol built using the OIF.
Manta Network
Modular L2 using ZK enabled Universal Circuits.
Miden
STARK-based virtual machine by Polygon.
Nightfall
Enterprise focused chain focused on privacy without anonymity.
NYM
Mixnet for metadata-private networking.
HOPR
Privacy-preserving p2p data transport.
RPCh
Privacy-focused RPC relay network.
Tor
Onion routing for anonymous communication - onionizing Ethereum.
A directory of privacy-preserving tools and infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem that leverage the Tor network is here - Github repo
Watch Roger Dingledine x Tor and Vitalik Buterin x Buterin fireside
SecureRPC (Manifold)
Secure, private RPC infrastructure for Web3.
INCO
Confidential compute for smart contracts.
Zama
Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) for blockchain and AI.
NuCypher
Threshold cryptography and encryption services.
Mind Network
Zero-trust data lake and FHE infrastructure.
Fhenix
FHE-powered Ethereum-compatible rollup.
Oasis
Confidential EVM and privacy-enabled smart contracts.
Arcium
An encrypted supercomputer, enabling operating on the internet without need to read the underlying data.
TACEO
Secure multiparty computation (MPC) infrastructure.
DappNode
Self-hosted Web3 infrastructure nodes.
Panther Protocol
Privacy-preserving DeFi and cross-chain transactions.
Chainlink
Decentralized oracle and cross-chain infrastructure.
Warp-toad
Cross-chain or node tooling (limited public documentation).
SilentSwap
Cross-chain non-custodial aggregator using TEE.
Tooling includes various utility tools and software frameworks designed to aid developers in creating privacy-focused applications and features.
Summa
ZK proofs for cross-chain and financial verification.
NEBRA
Decentralized zk-proof infrastructure and prover network.
Axiom
ZK coprocessor for Ethereum historical data.
PCD (Proof-Carrying Data)
Framework for composable cryptographic proofs.
UniRep Protocol
Private reputation system using zero-knowledge proofs.
Bandada
Privacy-preserving group management for ZK apps.
ZKProtocol
ZK-focused protocol tooling (limited public canonical site).
Bermuda
ZK/privacy protocol (early-stage or research-facing).
RLN (Rate Limiting Nullifier)
Anonymous rate-limiting for spam resistance.
zkETHer
Privacy-preserving Ethereum transactions.
Semaphore
Anonymous signaling and group membership proofs.
TLSNotary
Verifiable web data via TLS proofs.
Shutter (MEV)
Threshold encryption to prevent MEV extraction.
Logos Storage
Decentralized, durable data storage.
Logos Messaging
Privacy-preserving p2p messaging protocol.
Spook (RPC)
Privacy-focused RPC tooling.
Enclave (Governance)
Secure governance tooling (early-stage).
Radicle (Code)
Peer-to-peer, sovereign code collaboration.
This category covers initiatives and projects dedicated to advancing privacy technologies and methodologies within the Ethereum ecosystem.
NOVA Verifier
A verification tool for zero-knowledge proofs.
Folding
Framework for folding schemes in cryptographic settings.
NOVA
A verification tool for zero-knowledge proofs.
Solidity
A programming language for writing smart contracts on Ethereum.
Noir
A programming language designed for zero-knowledge proofs.
Circom
A circuit description language for zero-knowledge proofs.
Halo 2
A proof system for efficient zero-knowledge proofs.
Fat Solutions
A development shop focusing on secure blockchain solutions.
Distributed Lab
A lab specializing in blockchain technology and research.
Wonderland
A decentralized finance platform offering innovative solutions.
PSE
A research initiative focused on privacy [part of EF]. Check PSE's roadmap here
Silence Laboratories
A research lab dedicated to privacy solutions in blockchain.
Primus Labs
A research and development lab focused on pioneering blockchain technologies.
Encrypt Labs
A zkTLS oracle protocol that enables web private data to be verifiable on-chain.
Plinko PIR Tutorial by Vitalik Buterin
ERC-7740
Composable Security Middleware Hooks.
ERC-5630
New approach for encryption.
ERC-5564
Stealth Addresses.
Zero-Knowledge Wormholes.
ERC-2494
Baby JubJub Elliptic Curve.
Communities consist of groups and networks that foster discussion, collaboration, and knowledge sharing around Ethereum privacy topics.
Department of Decentralisation
A government initiative promoting decentralization through advocacy and policy.
Web3Privacy Now!
A community dedicated to building privacy-preserving solutions in the Web3 ecosystem.
Privacy LatAm
A collective focused on privacy rights and education in Latin America.
Logos Circles
..A community fostering collaboration and discussion around decentralized technologies.
Crecimiento
A community focused on growth and privacy advocacy in Spanish-speaking regions.
Events refer to conferences, meetups, and other gatherings focused on promoting dialogue and collaboration on privacy advancements in blockchain technology.
Hackathons are collaborative events where developers come together to innovate and create privacy-focused projects.
ETHRome
Ethereum hackathon in Rome with zk/privacy tracks.
ETHDam
Amsterdam-based conference & hackathon focused on zk and privacy.
ETHBerlin
Ethereum hackathon in Berlin, includes cypherpunk and zero-knowledge projects.
ETHTokyo
Community of Tokyo-based developers and professionals, driven by a shared sense of cypherpunk ethos and optimism for the future, dedicated to advance the development and adoption of Ethereum
ETHPrague
Event focused on the future of Ethereum and potential concepts or applications that don't yet exist
ETHBelgrade
Part of Belgrade Blockchain Week
W3PN HACKS
Privacy-focused hackathon by the Web3Privacy.Now community.
Ethereum Cypherpunk Congress
Gathering for Ethereum privacy developers, cypherpunks, and researchers.
Summits bring together experts and communities to discuss and promote advancements in privacy technology.
Web3Privacy Now
Annual summit focused on Web3 privacy tools and research for the Web3Privacy.Now community.
Global Encryption Day 2025
Global campaign to defend encryption rights and raise awareness, occurring on October 21st.
Privacy Summit by Crecimiento
Latin America-based summit focused on privacy in Web3.
Meetups are events that foster community discussion and collaboration around privacy topics in the Ethereum ecosystem.
Web3Privacy Now
Community hosting local meetups for privacy builders and researchers.
Privacy Guardians
Online community sharing Web3 privacy events and resources.
Content encompasses educational resources, publications, and blogs that provide insights and information about privacy initiatives and technologies.
Make Ethereum Cypherpunk Again by Vitalik Buterin
Ethereum Cypherpunk Manifesto by Pcaversaccio
Ethereum Cypherpunk Starter Kit by Paul-Dylan Ennis
Funding includes opportunities and initiatives dedicated to financially supporting projects aimed at enhancing privacy in the Ethereum ecosystem.
Gitcoin
A platform focused on funding public goods and supporting open-source projects.
Giveth
A platform that enables direct donations to social projects that benefit public goods.
Namada
A protocol for decentralized private transactions with a focus on asset privacy.
GCC (Gitcoin Community Council)
A community-driven initiative within Gitcoin for governance and decision-making.
Drips
A platform for creating sustainable revenue through subscription contributions to projects.
Octant
A discovery platform for Web3 projects aimed at building sustainable ecosystems.
a16z crypto
A venture capital firm supporting crypto and blockchain startups with significant investments.
Outlier Ventures
A venture platform focused on the development of the Web3 ecosystem.
Polychain
A cryptocurrency investment firm investing in blockchain projects and protocols.
Binance
A leading global cryptocurrency exchange that also invests in blockchain projects.
Eden Block
A venture capital firm focused on investing in crypto and blockchain startups.
Consensys
A blockchain software technology company that develops decentralized applications.
Lunar Ventures
European DeepTech Venture Fund, made notable investments in Ethereum-related projects.
Vitalik Buterin
Co-founder of Ethereum and a prominent figure in the blockchain community.
Imogen Heap
Musician and creative technologist known for her innovative work in music and blockchain.
Stani Kulechov
Founder of Aave, a decentralized finance (DeFi) lending platform.
Joseph Lubin
Co-founder of Ethereum and founder of ConsenSys, focusing on blockchain technology.
Stefan George
Co-founder and CTO of Gnosis, known for decentralized infrastructure in DeFi and DAOs.
Hsiao-Wei Wang
Co-Executive Director of Ethereum Foundation
Gavin Wood
Co-founder of Ethereum and founder of Parity Technologies (now Polkadot), known for his contributions to blockchain technology and smart contract development.
LongHash
A startup accelerator that supports companies in the blockchain and crypto space.
COTI Builders Program
A project focusing on providing privacy-oriented solutions.
Alliance DAO
A decentralized autonomous organization helping to launch and connect Web3 startups.
Web3Privacy Now
A community focused on building privacy-preserving solutions in Web3.
Outlier Ventures
A venture platform focused on the development of the Web3 ecosystem.
BREW Berlin
Local hub focused on (F)OSS development, providing a privacy track.
Watch Who pays for privacy? The real cost of building aligned apps by Lefteris Karapetsas at Ethereum Privacy Stack, 2026
Ethereum Foundation
A nonprofit organization that supports the Ethereum ecosystem through research, development, and grants.
Aztec Foundation
A foundation focused on developing privacy technologies for blockchain.
Moloch DAO
A decentralized autonomous organization aimed at funding Ethereum development.
Protocol Labs
A research and development lab that supports open-source protocols.
Logos
An organization dedicated to advancing the use of blockchain technology.
This report maps a growing Ethereum privacy ecosystem movement. Across 40 global hackathons in 2025, builders, researchers, and explorers co-created 416 privacy-first projects. These teams are manifesting a vision of digital sovereignty, agency, and dignity for all people.
In the following pages, we present the data plainly and use it as a call to action: we must fund, mentor, and scale so the highest-impact opportunities and privacy becomes a conscious, everyday choice; not an afterthought.
Nearly 8 of every 100 projects in these hackathons put privacy first. This is a clear signal that privacy is moving from niche to mainstream. 31 of 40 hackathons produced privacy use-cases, and flagship events consistently surface the most mature efforts.
Privacy is no longer a side project, it is a civic imperative. For privacy-focused organizations and communities, the path is clear: shine light on under-resourced categories (governance, healthcare, education), expand mentorship-rich gatherings, and invest in tooling and on-ramps so newcomers can build with privacy by default.
We analysed 40 hackathons that attracted 10,692 hackers who created 5,194 total projects. Out of these 40 events, 31 hackathons featured privacy-focused projects. The total prize pool across all events was $4.8 million, and 417 projects were dedicated to privacy.
What this means: Privacy is no longer a niche concern in the Ethereum ecosystem. With 8% of all projects focusing on privacy and three-quarters of hackathons producing privacy use-cases, privacy-focused building has become mainstream. This represents a fundamental shift from privacy being an afterthought to becoming a core consideration for builders.
ETHGlobal organised 11 events that generated 3,945 submissions, of which 216 were privacy projects (representing 5.5% of their total).
Independent organizers collectively ran 25 events with 1,047 submissions and 154 privacy projects (a much higher 14.7%).
ETHWarsaw, though smaller with only 2 events and 50 submissions, achieved an impressive 32% privacy focus with 16 privacy projects.
What this means: Larger, global organisers like ETHGlobal bring volume and scale, attracting thousands of participants. However, niche and regional organisers—particularly those with specific privacy or technical focuses—drive significantly higher privacy intensity. ETHWarsaw's 32% privacy rate is nearly 6 times higher than ETHGlobal's 5.5%, demonstrating that specialized, community-driven events create environments where privacy innovation thrives. This suggests that funding and support should be distributed not just to mega-events, but strategically to smaller, focused gatherings that punch above their weight in privacy innovation.
On average, each hackathon received 13 privacy-focused submissions, attracted 313 hackers, and generated 130 total submissions.
What this means: These averages reveal that privacy projects represent roughly 10% of all submissions (13 out of 130). The relatively modest average of 313 hackers per event suggests that smaller, more intimate hackathons are common in this dataset. This intimacy may actually benefit privacy innovation, as smaller events often allow for deeper mentorship, more focused themes, and stronger community bonds. The data supports the conclusion that targeted, mid-sized events yield higher quality privacy innovation than massive, generalist gatherings.
The median prize pool was $32,500, while the average prize pool was $120,000. Notably, events with prize pools under $200,000 maximized privacy intensity.
What this means: The significant gap between median ($32.5K) and average ($120K) indicates that a few very large prize pools skew the average upward, while most events operate with more modest budgets. The finding that sub-$200K events maximize privacy intensity is crucial: it suggests that throwing massive amounts of money at hackathons doesn't necessarily produce better privacy innovation. Instead, mid-sized, targeted events with specialist focus and strong mentorship outperform mega-events. This has important implications for funders: strategic, focused investment in specialized events may yield better returns than sponsoring only the largest hackathons.
Finance dominates with 153 projects representing 36.7% of all privacy work, driven by confidential swaps, private payments, and lending primitives. Social & Messaging follows with 100 projects (23.9%), reflecting growing demand for private communication tools. AI & Data Privacy captured 51 projects (12.2%), showing emerging interest in this space. Authentication & Identity had 26 projects (6.2%), while Infrastructure rounded out the top five with 14 projects (3.4%).
What this means: Finance's dominance (more than one-third of all privacy projects) reflects both the maturity of DeFi and the acute need for privacy in financial transactions. The strong showing of Social & Messaging (nearly one-quarter) indicates that builders recognize communication privacy as a fundamental human right and market need. The relatively modest showing of AI & Data Privacy (12.2%) despite its "very high" market potential suggests this is an emerging category with significant room for growth. The small numbers in Infrastructure (3.4%) are concerning, as robust privacy infrastructure is foundational for all other use cases. This distribution reveals where builders are naturally gravitating (finance, social) versus where critical gaps exist (infrastructure, governance, healthcare, education).
Zero-Knowledge (ZK) technology dominates with 145 projects and 310 total mentions across various implementations. Trusted Execution Environments (TEE) appeared in 18 projects, while Multi-Party Computation (MPC) was used in 32 projects. Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) appeared in just 12 projects, and 210 projects used other or custom approaches.
Within the ZK ecosystem, Circom + snarkjs led with 28 mentions, followed by Noir/Aztec with 21, Polygon zkEVM with 15, Cairo/Starknet with 8, Halo2/zkEVM with 6, and 67 other or custom implementations.
What this means: ZK technology is clearly the dominant privacy primitive in the Ethereum ecosystem, appearing in roughly one-third of all privacy projects. Its versatility—from confidential transactions to private identity to verifiable computation—makes it the Swiss Army knife of privacy tools. The fragmentation across different ZK implementations (Circom, Noir, Polygon, Cairo, etc.) suggests a healthy, competitive ecosystem but also potential developer confusion and tooling fragmentation. The relatively low adoption of FHE (12 projects) and MPC (32 projects) indicates these remain specialized tools for specific use cases rather than general-purpose solutions. The 210 "other" projects suggest significant experimentation and innovation beyond established primitives, which is healthy for long-term ecosystem development.
Europe led with 17 events producing 145 privacy projects (13.1% privacy rate). Latin America hosted 8 events with 88 privacy projects (12.3%). Asia had 5 events generating 79 privacy projects (8.4%). Africa organized 2 events with 5 privacy projects (6.5%), while North America had 2 events with 20 privacy projects (3.9%). Virtual events numbered 6 with 80 privacy projects (4.3%).
What this means: Europe's leadership (17 events, 145 projects, 13.1% privacy rate) establishes it as the global hub for privacy innovation in Ethereum. This likely reflects Europe's strong privacy culture (GDPR), academic institutions focused on cryptography, and vibrant local communities. Latin America's strong showing (12.3% privacy rate) is particularly notable—it's emerging as a secondary hub with privacy rates nearly matching Europe's. This may reflect both regional interest in financial privacy and strong local organizing. Asia's lower privacy rate (8.4%) despite having active communities suggests different priorities or approaches. North America's surprisingly low performance (3.9% from just 2 events) indicates potential for growth. The fact that virtual events (4.3%) significantly underperform in-person events reinforces the importance of face-to-face interaction for privacy innovation.
ETHBelgrade achieved the highest privacy focus at 50%, meaning half of all projects were privacy-focused. ETHTokyo came second with 46.3%, followed by ETHDam at 39.4%. ZKHack Berlin reached 37.8%, and ETHLatam rounded out the top five at 33.3%.
What this means: These exceptional events demonstrate what's possible when hackathons are either explicitly privacy-focused (ZKHack Berlin) or create environments where privacy innovation thrives. ETHBelgrade's 50% rate—meaning every other project focused on privacy—is remarkable and suggests a community deeply committed to privacy values. The geographic diversity (Belgrade, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Berlin, Latin America) shows that privacy innovation isn't confined to one region. The presence of ZKHack Berlin confirms that specialized, technical events drive high privacy intensity. These events should be studied as models: What made them successful? How did they attract privacy-focused builders? What mentorship and resources did they provide? Replicating their success factors could elevate privacy focus across the broader ecosystem.
In-person (IRL) events numbered 34 and generated 3,355 submissions, of which 337 were privacy projects, representing 10.04%. Virtual events totaled 6 with 1,839 submissions and 80 privacy projects, representing just 4.35%.
What this means: In-person hackathons produce more than double the privacy intensity (10.04%) compared to virtual events (4.35%). This 2.3x difference is significant and suggests that privacy innovation benefits particularly from face-to-face interaction. Several factors likely contribute: in-person events enable deeper mentorship relationships, facilitate spontaneous collaboration and idea exchange, create stronger community bonds, and allow for more focused, immersive experiences away from daily distractions. For privacy-focused work, which often requires deep technical understanding and benefits from expert guidance, the in-person advantage is even more pronounced. This has important implications for post-pandemic event strategy: while virtual events increase accessibility, organizations serious about advancing privacy innovation should prioritize funding and organizing in-person gatherings.
Social projects numbered 100 with high (growing) market potential but a small gap, indicating reasonable current investment. AI & Data Privacy had 51 projects with very high market potential and a medium gap, suggesting moderate underinvestment. Authentication & Identity showed 26 projects with high market potential and a medium gap.
The critical gaps emerge in DAO/Governance with only 10 projects despite very high market potential and a large gap, and Education & Onboarding with just 2 projects despite high market potential and a very large gap. Most striking is Post-Quantum Crypto with only 1 project despite high (emerging) market potential and a massive gap.
What this means: This analysis reveals where the ecosystem is failing to allocate resources relative to impact potential. Social and AI & Data Privacy, while still underfunded, are at least receiving attention. The real crisis lies in governance, education, and post-quantum cryptography.
DAO/Governance (10 projects, very high potential, large gap): As DAOs manage billions in treasury funds and make critical decisions, private voting and confidential governance are essential. Yet this receives minimal attention.
Education & Onboarding (2 projects, high potential, very large gap): Privacy tools remain difficult to use. Without educational resources and better onboarding, privacy will never achieve mainstream adoption. This is perhaps the most critical gap.
Post-Quantum Crypto (1 project, high potential, massive gap): With quantum computing advancing, current cryptographic assumptions may break within years or decades. The ecosystem is dangerously unprepared.
These gaps represent both risks (unaddressed vulnerabilities) and opportunities (high-impact areas for strategic investment). Funders and organizers should explicitly target these categories with dedicated tracks, mentorship, and prizes.
Privacy is becoming mainstream!
The data tells a clear story: privacy has moved from the margins to the mainstream of Ethereum development. With 8% of all hackathon projects focusing on privacy and 31 of 40 events producing privacy use-cases, builders are voting with their time and energy for a more private future.
Technology landscape: Zero-Knowledge proofs dominate as the primary privacy primitive, with AI-Privacy emerging as a growth area. However, secondary primitives like FHE and MPC remain underutilized, and there's dangerous underinvestment in post-quantum cryptography.
Geographic insights: Europe leads in both volume and intensity of privacy use-cases, though it's important to note that global builders travel to European events. Latin America is emerging as a strong secondary hub with privacy rates nearly matching Europe's. In-person events dramatically outperform virtual ones, producing 2x higher privacy intensity.
Domain distribution: Finance and Social domains dominate current development, which makes sense given their maturity and clear use cases. However, critical gaps exist in Governance, Healthcare, and especially Education—areas with high impact potential but minimal current investment.
Event dynamics: Mid-sized, specialized events with focused themes and strong mentorship outperform mega-events for privacy innovation. The sweet spot appears to be events with prize pools under $200K, regional or technical focus, and intimate settings that enable deep collaboration.
For Funders:
Shift resources toward underserved high-potential categories: DAO/Governance, Education & Onboarding, and Post-Quantum Crypto
Support mid-sized, specialized events rather than only mega-hackathons
Prioritize in-person events, particularly in Europe and Latin America
Create dedicated tracks and mentorship programs for privacy innovation
For Organizers:
Study and replicate success factors from top-performing events (ETHBelgrade, ETHTokyo, ETHDam)
Emphasize in-person formats for maximum privacy innovation
Provide specialized mentorship from privacy experts
Create focused themes rather than broad, general hackathons
For Builders:
Explore underserved categories where impact potential exceeds current investment
Consider infrastructure and education projects, not just end-user applications
Experiment with underutilized primitives like FHE and MPC
Prepare for post-quantum threats
For the Ecosystem:
Recognize that privacy is no longer niche—it's mainstream and growing
Invest in education and onboarding to make privacy accessible
Build bridges between privacy research and practical implementation
Create career pathways for privacy-focused developers
Active pro-privacy position in Ethereum Foundation and internal organisational change helps to foster privacy development forward. Privacy Cluster Leadership Announcement and follow up org chart helps to see privacy as a fundamental value behind EF.
The data reveals both tremendous progress and critical gaps. Privacy has achieved mainstream status in Ethereum development, with hundreds of builders dedicating thousands of hours to privacy innovation. The foundation is strong: robust ZK tooling, active communities across continents, and growing awareness of privacy's importance.
However, the ecosystem must address critical vulnerabilities: the education gap that prevents mainstream adoption, the governance gap that leaves DAOs exposed, and the post-quantum gap that threatens long-term security. Success requires strategic resource allocation toward high-impact, underserved areas.
The vision is clear: a future where privacy is not an afterthought but a default, where digital sovereignty, agency, and dignity are available to all people. The 417 privacy projects from 2025's hackathons represent steps toward that future. With continued focus, strategic investment, and community commitment, privacy can evolve from a technical feature to a fundamental right embedded in the infrastructure of the decentralised web.
Useful Links
Ethereum Privacy Ecosystem Map (download)
https://files.web3privacy.info/share/ehUXsKnM
Github research repository
Contains published reports & outputs of the research efforts within Web3Privacy Now - research/initiatives/ethereum-privacy-ecosystem at main · web3privacy/research
Ethereum-focused projects listed on Privacy dashboard
Explore Web3 projects focused on privacy and security
Web3Privacy Now web
Advocates worldwide are uniting to make privacy fundamental pillar of the Web3 industry, transforming it into a cultural movement that champions freedom and decentralization.
This research has been done in an attempt to visualise and map the Privacy Ecosystem of Ethereum with a human-centric approach, catering to the end-users first. We believe that privacy has to go beyond tribalism. Tools should be exactly that - tools, that masses can incorporate and integrate into their day-to-day lives. Our goal thus has been to structure this whole map with end-users in mind.
The structure goes from organisations that are doing great work in advocating for privacy and digital rights as well as spreading the education and knowledge. They are doing so in easily accessible language which can do important work in implementing privacy protective habits and help users easily navigate the field.
Then we proceed to the applications, because they are what matter to the users most. Easy to use and connect to apps, with nice and simple UI that everyone and their friends and families can start using. Be it Wallets and means for safe and private transactions, VPNs to hide one's IP address or Messengers to chat with your close ones.
We also understand that with new apps and knowledge that sparks curiosity, one might want to dive deeper into the whole world of DAOs and contribute to the ecosystem. In the same spirit, without solid infrastructure, tooling and labs, there would be no applications at all. So the whole structure follows in this spirit, almost like moving from the tip of the iceberg down to its base, this map covers what there is to know and keep on the radar. Communities and social events included.
In short, we apply a human-centric approach to mapping by putting applications as the starting point of Ethereum privacy activity. Only afterwards we follow up with the tech layer from EIPs to SDKs. This helps to decenter privacy from inward-tech view without adoption & focus on projects, initiatives in need of privacy.
Watch Ethereum Privacy Roadmap by Andy Guzman x Lead at Privacy Stewards of Ethereum @ Ethereum Privacy Stack, Devconnect 2025
Think we are missing something? Let us know!
Advocacy focuses on promoting policies and practices that enhance privacy protections in the Ethereum ecosystem.
These organisations focus on promoting policies and practices that support digital privacy rights and technological advancements.
Coin Center - Advocates for smart crypto and privacy laws.
Web3Privacy Now - Promotes privacy tools for Web3 users.
Privacy Guardians - Shares updates on digital privacy and rights.
Womxn in Privacy - Supports women leaders in privacy technology.
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) - Defends digital privacy and free speech rights.
The Institutional Privacy Task Force (IPTF) is a dedicated team that helps onboard institutions and enterprises onto Ethereum, with a focus on ensuring their privacy needs are met in a performant, secure, usable, and accessible way.
Watch head of IPTF's Oskar Thorin talk on Institutional privacy meets Ethereum. And follow up panel feat Zach Obront (Etherealize), Amzah Moelah (ABN AMRO), Eugenio Reggianini (European Blockchain Association), Francois Garillot (Miden).
This category includes applications that prioritize user privacy, enabling secure interactions and transactions within the Ethereum network.
Wallets allow users to securely store and manage their cryptocurrency assets while enhancing privacy and anonymity.
Railway - DeFi wallet using zero-knowledge proofs to shield transactions and balances on Ethereum and other chains.
Frame - privacy-first desktop wallet that runs natively on your computer with full control over your keys and connections.
Rabby - browser extension wallet designed for DeFi users with advanced transaction previewing and multi-chain support.
Brume - non-custodial Ethereum wallet focused on privacy through built-in mixing and anonymous transaction capabilities.
Hinkal - privacy protocol enabling confidential DeFi transactions while maintaining compliance and protecting user data.
Terminal Wallet - Web3 wallet designed for seamless and secure interaction with decentralized applications.
Token Shielder - shields token transfers and balances using zero-knowledge cryptography.
Kohaku Wallet - privacy-focused wallet solution for managing digital assets with enhanced security features.
Watch Vitalik Buterin, Nicolas Consigny & Kassandra "Kohaku: wallet privacy on Ethereum" @ Ethereum Cypherpunk Congress 2, Buenos Aires
Spotlight: Walletbeat - public good project that brings transparency to the Ethereum wallet ecosystem.
This category includes tools that facilitate private and secure transactions on the Ethereum network.
Railgun - privacy system for DeFi that uses zero-knowledge proofs to shield balances and transactions across multiple chains.
Privacy Pools - transaction protocol that enables anonymous swaps and transfers on Ethereum by 0xBow.io
Tornado Cash - decentralized protocol that breaks the on-chain link between source and destination addresses using smart contracts.
zkbob - privacy-preserving stablecoin protocol enabling confidential transfers using zero-knowledge technology.
Veil Cash - protocol for anonymous cryptocurrency transactions with enhanced obfuscation techniques.
Fairblock - Decentralized censorship-resistant ordering using MPC.
Blanksquare - Composable privacy tooling using zero-knowledge technology and TEE.
Stealth addresses help enhance privacy by allowing users to generate unique, untraceable addresses for transactions.
Fluidkey - Stealth address protocol for Ethereum that generates unique addresses for each transaction to protect recipient privacy.
Umbra - Protocol for sending anonymous payments on Ethereum using stealth addresses that only recipients can access.
Night - Privacy solution utilizing stealth addresses to enable untraceable cryptocurrency transactions.
STELS - Stealth address implementation providing enhanced transaction privacy through one-time addresses.
dstealth - Decentralized stealth address system for private peer-to-peer cryptocurrency transfers.
Curvy - Privacy tool leveraging stealth addresses and cryptographic techniques for anonymous transactions.
Portfolio management tools help users track their cryptocurrency assets and investments while prioritizing privacy.
Rotki - An open-source portfolio tracker that runs locally on your computer, keeping all financial data private and encrypted.
Storage solutions enable secure and private file storage on Ethereum and decentralized networks.
Swarm - Open-source and decentralized storage and communication system providing censorship-resistant data hosting for Ethereum.
Logos Storage - A decentralized storage network with built-in privacy features and durability guarantees for Web3 applications.
Arcana - Web3 infrastructure platform offering decentralized storage with privacy-preserving access control mechanisms.
VPN services enhance privacy and security when accessing the Ethereum network and other online resources.
Nym - A mixnet protocol providing network-level privacy by obscuring metadata and protecting against surveillance.
GnosisVPN - Decentralized VPN service built on blockchain technology for private and censorship-resistant internet access.
MASQ dMeshVPN - Mesh VPN network that routes traffic through nodes to protect user privacy and anonymity.
Privacy-focused messengers provide secure communication channels for users within the Ethereum ecosystem.
Status - Secure messaging app and Web3 browser with end-to-end encryption built on Ethereum principles.
Session - Decentralized private messaging app, minimizing metadata.
Watch "Decentralization Protects Privacy in Messaging" by Chris McCabe from Session @ Ethereum Privacy Stack, Devconnect
Decentralized document solutions facilitate secure and private document management.
ddocs - Decentralized document management system enabling private, encrypted storage and sharing of files.
Peer-to-peer offramp solutions facilitate anonymous conversions of cryptocurrency to fiat.
ZKP2P - Peer-to-peer fiat-to-crypto onramp using zero-knowledge proofs to maintain privacy during transactions
Innovative mining projects focus on privacy-preserving mechanisms for cryptocurrency mining.
WORM - A privacy-focused mining protocol utilizing proof-of-burn mechanisms for fair token distribution.
Identity and Governance involve tools and frameworks that allow users to manage their digital identities and maintain control over their personal data.
These projects focus on providing identity solutions through privacy-preserving technologies.
Rarimo
A permissionless ZK identity & registry protocol.
Human.tech
Privacy-preserving human identity + wallet infrastructure.
ZKPassport
Zero-knowledge identity & data proof protocol.
Zupass
A project for managing Proof-Carrying Data (PCD) with privacy features.
Onflow
A decentralized identity protocol focusing on secure identity management.
Reclaim Protocol
Web2 to Web3 verified credentials via ZK proofs.
Opacity Network
A ZKP protocol for proving anything without revealing the details.
Self Protocol
A privacy-preserving identity solution leveraging zero-knowledge proofs.
Projects under this category focus on privacy solutions specific to decentralized autonomous organizations. Explore The State of Private Voting report by Shutter & PSE here
MACI
Minimum Anti-Collusion Infrastructure.
DaVinci
A zk-SNARK-based voting protocol designed for secure and anonymous voting.
Privote
A DAO privacy-focused voting solution.
Zupoll
A platform for secure and anonymous voting in DAOs.
This category covers tools and resources that aim to set standards for identity and privacy in Web3.
W3PN Explorer
Dashboard featuring 780+ projects promising decentralised privacy & scoring them
W3PN Builder Pack
A toolkit for developers building privacy-first projects.
Walletbeat
An open repository of EVM-compatible wallets.
Infrastructure encompasses the foundational technologies and protocols that support privacy-enhancing solutions for Ethereum.
Aztec
Private-by-default zkRollup for Ethereum.
TEN (Threshold Encryption Network)
Encrypted mempool and private smart contracts.
INTMAX
Stateless zkRollup focused on scalability and privacy.
COTI
Layer-1 with privacy-preserving shielded transactions.
Shinobi.cash
Cross-chain privacy protocol built using the OIF.
Manta Network
Modular L2 using ZK enabled Universal Circuits.
Miden
STARK-based virtual machine by Polygon.
Nightfall
Enterprise focused chain focused on privacy without anonymity.
NYM
Mixnet for metadata-private networking.
HOPR
Privacy-preserving p2p data transport.
RPCh
Privacy-focused RPC relay network.
Tor
Onion routing for anonymous communication - onionizing Ethereum.
A directory of privacy-preserving tools and infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem that leverage the Tor network is here - Github repo
Watch Roger Dingledine x Tor and Vitalik Buterin x Buterin fireside
SecureRPC (Manifold)
Secure, private RPC infrastructure for Web3.
INCO
Confidential compute for smart contracts.
Zama
Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) for blockchain and AI.
NuCypher
Threshold cryptography and encryption services.
Mind Network
Zero-trust data lake and FHE infrastructure.
Fhenix
FHE-powered Ethereum-compatible rollup.
Oasis
Confidential EVM and privacy-enabled smart contracts.
Arcium
An encrypted supercomputer, enabling operating on the internet without need to read the underlying data.
TACEO
Secure multiparty computation (MPC) infrastructure.
DappNode
Self-hosted Web3 infrastructure nodes.
Panther Protocol
Privacy-preserving DeFi and cross-chain transactions.
Chainlink
Decentralized oracle and cross-chain infrastructure.
Warp-toad
Cross-chain or node tooling (limited public documentation).
SilentSwap
Cross-chain non-custodial aggregator using TEE.
Tooling includes various utility tools and software frameworks designed to aid developers in creating privacy-focused applications and features.
Summa
ZK proofs for cross-chain and financial verification.
NEBRA
Decentralized zk-proof infrastructure and prover network.
Axiom
ZK coprocessor for Ethereum historical data.
PCD (Proof-Carrying Data)
Framework for composable cryptographic proofs.
UniRep Protocol
Private reputation system using zero-knowledge proofs.
Bandada
Privacy-preserving group management for ZK apps.
ZKProtocol
ZK-focused protocol tooling (limited public canonical site).
Bermuda
ZK/privacy protocol (early-stage or research-facing).
RLN (Rate Limiting Nullifier)
Anonymous rate-limiting for spam resistance.
zkETHer
Privacy-preserving Ethereum transactions.
Semaphore
Anonymous signaling and group membership proofs.
TLSNotary
Verifiable web data via TLS proofs.
Shutter (MEV)
Threshold encryption to prevent MEV extraction.
Logos Storage
Decentralized, durable data storage.
Logos Messaging
Privacy-preserving p2p messaging protocol.
Spook (RPC)
Privacy-focused RPC tooling.
Enclave (Governance)
Secure governance tooling (early-stage).
Radicle (Code)
Peer-to-peer, sovereign code collaboration.
This category covers initiatives and projects dedicated to advancing privacy technologies and methodologies within the Ethereum ecosystem.
NOVA Verifier
A verification tool for zero-knowledge proofs.
Folding
Framework for folding schemes in cryptographic settings.
NOVA
A verification tool for zero-knowledge proofs.
Solidity
A programming language for writing smart contracts on Ethereum.
Noir
A programming language designed for zero-knowledge proofs.
Circom
A circuit description language for zero-knowledge proofs.
Halo 2
A proof system for efficient zero-knowledge proofs.
Fat Solutions
A development shop focusing on secure blockchain solutions.
Distributed Lab
A lab specializing in blockchain technology and research.
Wonderland
A decentralized finance platform offering innovative solutions.
PSE
A research initiative focused on privacy [part of EF]. Check PSE's roadmap here
Silence Laboratories
A research lab dedicated to privacy solutions in blockchain.
Primus Labs
A research and development lab focused on pioneering blockchain technologies.
Encrypt Labs
A zkTLS oracle protocol that enables web private data to be verifiable on-chain.
Plinko PIR Tutorial by Vitalik Buterin
ERC-7740
Composable Security Middleware Hooks.
ERC-5630
New approach for encryption.
ERC-5564
Stealth Addresses.
Zero-Knowledge Wormholes.
ERC-2494
Baby JubJub Elliptic Curve.
Communities consist of groups and networks that foster discussion, collaboration, and knowledge sharing around Ethereum privacy topics.
Department of Decentralisation
A government initiative promoting decentralization through advocacy and policy.
Web3Privacy Now!
A community dedicated to building privacy-preserving solutions in the Web3 ecosystem.
Privacy LatAm
A collective focused on privacy rights and education in Latin America.
Logos Circles
..A community fostering collaboration and discussion around decentralized technologies.
Crecimiento
A community focused on growth and privacy advocacy in Spanish-speaking regions.
Events refer to conferences, meetups, and other gatherings focused on promoting dialogue and collaboration on privacy advancements in blockchain technology.
Hackathons are collaborative events where developers come together to innovate and create privacy-focused projects.
ETHRome
Ethereum hackathon in Rome with zk/privacy tracks.
ETHDam
Amsterdam-based conference & hackathon focused on zk and privacy.
ETHBerlin
Ethereum hackathon in Berlin, includes cypherpunk and zero-knowledge projects.
ETHTokyo
Community of Tokyo-based developers and professionals, driven by a shared sense of cypherpunk ethos and optimism for the future, dedicated to advance the development and adoption of Ethereum
ETHPrague
Event focused on the future of Ethereum and potential concepts or applications that don't yet exist
ETHBelgrade
Part of Belgrade Blockchain Week
W3PN HACKS
Privacy-focused hackathon by the Web3Privacy.Now community.
Ethereum Cypherpunk Congress
Gathering for Ethereum privacy developers, cypherpunks, and researchers.
Summits bring together experts and communities to discuss and promote advancements in privacy technology.
Web3Privacy Now
Annual summit focused on Web3 privacy tools and research for the Web3Privacy.Now community.
Global Encryption Day 2025
Global campaign to defend encryption rights and raise awareness, occurring on October 21st.
Privacy Summit by Crecimiento
Latin America-based summit focused on privacy in Web3.
Meetups are events that foster community discussion and collaboration around privacy topics in the Ethereum ecosystem.
Web3Privacy Now
Community hosting local meetups for privacy builders and researchers.
Privacy Guardians
Online community sharing Web3 privacy events and resources.
Content encompasses educational resources, publications, and blogs that provide insights and information about privacy initiatives and technologies.
Make Ethereum Cypherpunk Again by Vitalik Buterin
Ethereum Cypherpunk Manifesto by Pcaversaccio
Ethereum Cypherpunk Starter Kit by Paul-Dylan Ennis
Funding includes opportunities and initiatives dedicated to financially supporting projects aimed at enhancing privacy in the Ethereum ecosystem.
Gitcoin
A platform focused on funding public goods and supporting open-source projects.
Giveth
A platform that enables direct donations to social projects that benefit public goods.
Namada
A protocol for decentralized private transactions with a focus on asset privacy.
GCC (Gitcoin Community Council)
A community-driven initiative within Gitcoin for governance and decision-making.
Drips
A platform for creating sustainable revenue through subscription contributions to projects.
Octant
A discovery platform for Web3 projects aimed at building sustainable ecosystems.
a16z crypto
A venture capital firm supporting crypto and blockchain startups with significant investments.
Outlier Ventures
A venture platform focused on the development of the Web3 ecosystem.
Polychain
A cryptocurrency investment firm investing in blockchain projects and protocols.
Binance
A leading global cryptocurrency exchange that also invests in blockchain projects.
Eden Block
A venture capital firm focused on investing in crypto and blockchain startups.
Consensys
A blockchain software technology company that develops decentralized applications.
Lunar Ventures
European DeepTech Venture Fund, made notable investments in Ethereum-related projects.
Vitalik Buterin
Co-founder of Ethereum and a prominent figure in the blockchain community.
Imogen Heap
Musician and creative technologist known for her innovative work in music and blockchain.
Stani Kulechov
Founder of Aave, a decentralized finance (DeFi) lending platform.
Joseph Lubin
Co-founder of Ethereum and founder of ConsenSys, focusing on blockchain technology.
Stefan George
Co-founder and CTO of Gnosis, known for decentralized infrastructure in DeFi and DAOs.
Hsiao-Wei Wang
Co-Executive Director of Ethereum Foundation
Gavin Wood
Co-founder of Ethereum and founder of Parity Technologies (now Polkadot), known for his contributions to blockchain technology and smart contract development.
LongHash
A startup accelerator that supports companies in the blockchain and crypto space.
COTI Builders Program
A project focusing on providing privacy-oriented solutions.
Alliance DAO
A decentralized autonomous organization helping to launch and connect Web3 startups.
Web3Privacy Now
A community focused on building privacy-preserving solutions in Web3.
Outlier Ventures
A venture platform focused on the development of the Web3 ecosystem.
BREW Berlin
Local hub focused on (F)OSS development, providing a privacy track.
Watch Who pays for privacy? The real cost of building aligned apps by Lefteris Karapetsas at Ethereum Privacy Stack, 2026
Ethereum Foundation
A nonprofit organization that supports the Ethereum ecosystem through research, development, and grants.
Aztec Foundation
A foundation focused on developing privacy technologies for blockchain.
Moloch DAO
A decentralized autonomous organization aimed at funding Ethereum development.
Protocol Labs
A research and development lab that supports open-source protocols.
Logos
An organization dedicated to advancing the use of blockchain technology.
This report maps a growing Ethereum privacy ecosystem movement. Across 40 global hackathons in 2025, builders, researchers, and explorers co-created 416 privacy-first projects. These teams are manifesting a vision of digital sovereignty, agency, and dignity for all people.
In the following pages, we present the data plainly and use it as a call to action: we must fund, mentor, and scale so the highest-impact opportunities and privacy becomes a conscious, everyday choice; not an afterthought.
Nearly 8 of every 100 projects in these hackathons put privacy first. This is a clear signal that privacy is moving from niche to mainstream. 31 of 40 hackathons produced privacy use-cases, and flagship events consistently surface the most mature efforts.
Privacy is no longer a side project, it is a civic imperative. For privacy-focused organizations and communities, the path is clear: shine light on under-resourced categories (governance, healthcare, education), expand mentorship-rich gatherings, and invest in tooling and on-ramps so newcomers can build with privacy by default.
We analysed 40 hackathons that attracted 10,692 hackers who created 5,194 total projects. Out of these 40 events, 31 hackathons featured privacy-focused projects. The total prize pool across all events was $4.8 million, and 417 projects were dedicated to privacy.
What this means: Privacy is no longer a niche concern in the Ethereum ecosystem. With 8% of all projects focusing on privacy and three-quarters of hackathons producing privacy use-cases, privacy-focused building has become mainstream. This represents a fundamental shift from privacy being an afterthought to becoming a core consideration for builders.
ETHGlobal organised 11 events that generated 3,945 submissions, of which 216 were privacy projects (representing 5.5% of their total).
Independent organizers collectively ran 25 events with 1,047 submissions and 154 privacy projects (a much higher 14.7%).
ETHWarsaw, though smaller with only 2 events and 50 submissions, achieved an impressive 32% privacy focus with 16 privacy projects.
What this means: Larger, global organisers like ETHGlobal bring volume and scale, attracting thousands of participants. However, niche and regional organisers—particularly those with specific privacy or technical focuses—drive significantly higher privacy intensity. ETHWarsaw's 32% privacy rate is nearly 6 times higher than ETHGlobal's 5.5%, demonstrating that specialized, community-driven events create environments where privacy innovation thrives. This suggests that funding and support should be distributed not just to mega-events, but strategically to smaller, focused gatherings that punch above their weight in privacy innovation.
On average, each hackathon received 13 privacy-focused submissions, attracted 313 hackers, and generated 130 total submissions.
What this means: These averages reveal that privacy projects represent roughly 10% of all submissions (13 out of 130). The relatively modest average of 313 hackers per event suggests that smaller, more intimate hackathons are common in this dataset. This intimacy may actually benefit privacy innovation, as smaller events often allow for deeper mentorship, more focused themes, and stronger community bonds. The data supports the conclusion that targeted, mid-sized events yield higher quality privacy innovation than massive, generalist gatherings.
The median prize pool was $32,500, while the average prize pool was $120,000. Notably, events with prize pools under $200,000 maximized privacy intensity.
What this means: The significant gap between median ($32.5K) and average ($120K) indicates that a few very large prize pools skew the average upward, while most events operate with more modest budgets. The finding that sub-$200K events maximize privacy intensity is crucial: it suggests that throwing massive amounts of money at hackathons doesn't necessarily produce better privacy innovation. Instead, mid-sized, targeted events with specialist focus and strong mentorship outperform mega-events. This has important implications for funders: strategic, focused investment in specialized events may yield better returns than sponsoring only the largest hackathons.
Finance dominates with 153 projects representing 36.7% of all privacy work, driven by confidential swaps, private payments, and lending primitives. Social & Messaging follows with 100 projects (23.9%), reflecting growing demand for private communication tools. AI & Data Privacy captured 51 projects (12.2%), showing emerging interest in this space. Authentication & Identity had 26 projects (6.2%), while Infrastructure rounded out the top five with 14 projects (3.4%).
What this means: Finance's dominance (more than one-third of all privacy projects) reflects both the maturity of DeFi and the acute need for privacy in financial transactions. The strong showing of Social & Messaging (nearly one-quarter) indicates that builders recognize communication privacy as a fundamental human right and market need. The relatively modest showing of AI & Data Privacy (12.2%) despite its "very high" market potential suggests this is an emerging category with significant room for growth. The small numbers in Infrastructure (3.4%) are concerning, as robust privacy infrastructure is foundational for all other use cases. This distribution reveals where builders are naturally gravitating (finance, social) versus where critical gaps exist (infrastructure, governance, healthcare, education).
Zero-Knowledge (ZK) technology dominates with 145 projects and 310 total mentions across various implementations. Trusted Execution Environments (TEE) appeared in 18 projects, while Multi-Party Computation (MPC) was used in 32 projects. Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) appeared in just 12 projects, and 210 projects used other or custom approaches.
Within the ZK ecosystem, Circom + snarkjs led with 28 mentions, followed by Noir/Aztec with 21, Polygon zkEVM with 15, Cairo/Starknet with 8, Halo2/zkEVM with 6, and 67 other or custom implementations.
What this means: ZK technology is clearly the dominant privacy primitive in the Ethereum ecosystem, appearing in roughly one-third of all privacy projects. Its versatility—from confidential transactions to private identity to verifiable computation—makes it the Swiss Army knife of privacy tools. The fragmentation across different ZK implementations (Circom, Noir, Polygon, Cairo, etc.) suggests a healthy, competitive ecosystem but also potential developer confusion and tooling fragmentation. The relatively low adoption of FHE (12 projects) and MPC (32 projects) indicates these remain specialized tools for specific use cases rather than general-purpose solutions. The 210 "other" projects suggest significant experimentation and innovation beyond established primitives, which is healthy for long-term ecosystem development.
Europe led with 17 events producing 145 privacy projects (13.1% privacy rate). Latin America hosted 8 events with 88 privacy projects (12.3%). Asia had 5 events generating 79 privacy projects (8.4%). Africa organized 2 events with 5 privacy projects (6.5%), while North America had 2 events with 20 privacy projects (3.9%). Virtual events numbered 6 with 80 privacy projects (4.3%).
What this means: Europe's leadership (17 events, 145 projects, 13.1% privacy rate) establishes it as the global hub for privacy innovation in Ethereum. This likely reflects Europe's strong privacy culture (GDPR), academic institutions focused on cryptography, and vibrant local communities. Latin America's strong showing (12.3% privacy rate) is particularly notable—it's emerging as a secondary hub with privacy rates nearly matching Europe's. This may reflect both regional interest in financial privacy and strong local organizing. Asia's lower privacy rate (8.4%) despite having active communities suggests different priorities or approaches. North America's surprisingly low performance (3.9% from just 2 events) indicates potential for growth. The fact that virtual events (4.3%) significantly underperform in-person events reinforces the importance of face-to-face interaction for privacy innovation.
ETHBelgrade achieved the highest privacy focus at 50%, meaning half of all projects were privacy-focused. ETHTokyo came second with 46.3%, followed by ETHDam at 39.4%. ZKHack Berlin reached 37.8%, and ETHLatam rounded out the top five at 33.3%.
What this means: These exceptional events demonstrate what's possible when hackathons are either explicitly privacy-focused (ZKHack Berlin) or create environments where privacy innovation thrives. ETHBelgrade's 50% rate—meaning every other project focused on privacy—is remarkable and suggests a community deeply committed to privacy values. The geographic diversity (Belgrade, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Berlin, Latin America) shows that privacy innovation isn't confined to one region. The presence of ZKHack Berlin confirms that specialized, technical events drive high privacy intensity. These events should be studied as models: What made them successful? How did they attract privacy-focused builders? What mentorship and resources did they provide? Replicating their success factors could elevate privacy focus across the broader ecosystem.
In-person (IRL) events numbered 34 and generated 3,355 submissions, of which 337 were privacy projects, representing 10.04%. Virtual events totaled 6 with 1,839 submissions and 80 privacy projects, representing just 4.35%.
What this means: In-person hackathons produce more than double the privacy intensity (10.04%) compared to virtual events (4.35%). This 2.3x difference is significant and suggests that privacy innovation benefits particularly from face-to-face interaction. Several factors likely contribute: in-person events enable deeper mentorship relationships, facilitate spontaneous collaboration and idea exchange, create stronger community bonds, and allow for more focused, immersive experiences away from daily distractions. For privacy-focused work, which often requires deep technical understanding and benefits from expert guidance, the in-person advantage is even more pronounced. This has important implications for post-pandemic event strategy: while virtual events increase accessibility, organizations serious about advancing privacy innovation should prioritize funding and organizing in-person gatherings.
Social projects numbered 100 with high (growing) market potential but a small gap, indicating reasonable current investment. AI & Data Privacy had 51 projects with very high market potential and a medium gap, suggesting moderate underinvestment. Authentication & Identity showed 26 projects with high market potential and a medium gap.
The critical gaps emerge in DAO/Governance with only 10 projects despite very high market potential and a large gap, and Education & Onboarding with just 2 projects despite high market potential and a very large gap. Most striking is Post-Quantum Crypto with only 1 project despite high (emerging) market potential and a massive gap.
What this means: This analysis reveals where the ecosystem is failing to allocate resources relative to impact potential. Social and AI & Data Privacy, while still underfunded, are at least receiving attention. The real crisis lies in governance, education, and post-quantum cryptography.
DAO/Governance (10 projects, very high potential, large gap): As DAOs manage billions in treasury funds and make critical decisions, private voting and confidential governance are essential. Yet this receives minimal attention.
Education & Onboarding (2 projects, high potential, very large gap): Privacy tools remain difficult to use. Without educational resources and better onboarding, privacy will never achieve mainstream adoption. This is perhaps the most critical gap.
Post-Quantum Crypto (1 project, high potential, massive gap): With quantum computing advancing, current cryptographic assumptions may break within years or decades. The ecosystem is dangerously unprepared.
These gaps represent both risks (unaddressed vulnerabilities) and opportunities (high-impact areas for strategic investment). Funders and organizers should explicitly target these categories with dedicated tracks, mentorship, and prizes.
Privacy is becoming mainstream!
The data tells a clear story: privacy has moved from the margins to the mainstream of Ethereum development. With 8% of all hackathon projects focusing on privacy and 31 of 40 events producing privacy use-cases, builders are voting with their time and energy for a more private future.
Technology landscape: Zero-Knowledge proofs dominate as the primary privacy primitive, with AI-Privacy emerging as a growth area. However, secondary primitives like FHE and MPC remain underutilized, and there's dangerous underinvestment in post-quantum cryptography.
Geographic insights: Europe leads in both volume and intensity of privacy use-cases, though it's important to note that global builders travel to European events. Latin America is emerging as a strong secondary hub with privacy rates nearly matching Europe's. In-person events dramatically outperform virtual ones, producing 2x higher privacy intensity.
Domain distribution: Finance and Social domains dominate current development, which makes sense given their maturity and clear use cases. However, critical gaps exist in Governance, Healthcare, and especially Education—areas with high impact potential but minimal current investment.
Event dynamics: Mid-sized, specialized events with focused themes and strong mentorship outperform mega-events for privacy innovation. The sweet spot appears to be events with prize pools under $200K, regional or technical focus, and intimate settings that enable deep collaboration.
For Funders:
Shift resources toward underserved high-potential categories: DAO/Governance, Education & Onboarding, and Post-Quantum Crypto
Support mid-sized, specialized events rather than only mega-hackathons
Prioritize in-person events, particularly in Europe and Latin America
Create dedicated tracks and mentorship programs for privacy innovation
For Organizers:
Study and replicate success factors from top-performing events (ETHBelgrade, ETHTokyo, ETHDam)
Emphasize in-person formats for maximum privacy innovation
Provide specialized mentorship from privacy experts
Create focused themes rather than broad, general hackathons
For Builders:
Explore underserved categories where impact potential exceeds current investment
Consider infrastructure and education projects, not just end-user applications
Experiment with underutilized primitives like FHE and MPC
Prepare for post-quantum threats
For the Ecosystem:
Recognize that privacy is no longer niche—it's mainstream and growing
Invest in education and onboarding to make privacy accessible
Build bridges between privacy research and practical implementation
Create career pathways for privacy-focused developers
Active pro-privacy position in Ethereum Foundation and internal organisational change helps to foster privacy development forward. Privacy Cluster Leadership Announcement and follow up org chart helps to see privacy as a fundamental value behind EF.
The data reveals both tremendous progress and critical gaps. Privacy has achieved mainstream status in Ethereum development, with hundreds of builders dedicating thousands of hours to privacy innovation. The foundation is strong: robust ZK tooling, active communities across continents, and growing awareness of privacy's importance.
However, the ecosystem must address critical vulnerabilities: the education gap that prevents mainstream adoption, the governance gap that leaves DAOs exposed, and the post-quantum gap that threatens long-term security. Success requires strategic resource allocation toward high-impact, underserved areas.
The vision is clear: a future where privacy is not an afterthought but a default, where digital sovereignty, agency, and dignity are available to all people. The 417 privacy projects from 2025's hackathons represent steps toward that future. With continued focus, strategic investment, and community commitment, privacy can evolve from a technical feature to a fundamental right embedded in the infrastructure of the decentralised web.
Useful Links
Ethereum Privacy Ecosystem Map (download)
https://files.web3privacy.info/share/ehUXsKnM
Github research repository
Contains published reports & outputs of the research efforts within Web3Privacy Now - research/initiatives/ethereum-privacy-ecosystem at main · web3privacy/research
Ethereum-focused projects listed on Privacy dashboard
Explore Web3 projects focused on privacy and security
Web3Privacy Now web
Advocates worldwide are uniting to make privacy fundamental pillar of the Web3 industry, transforming it into a cultural movement that champions freedom and decentralization.
Starshell - privacy-preserving Web3 wallet for the Secret Network ecosystem with built-in confidential computing features.
Payy - decentralized payment wallet enabling private peer-to-peer transactions with minimal fees.
Ambire - smart wallet with account abstraction, gasless transactions, and enhanced security through email/password recovery. First wallet to get completely green lighted on Walletbeat.
Simple Private Payment L2 by @Alpeh_V - A design for private stablecoin payments at near-zero cost, using zero-knowledge proofs for privacy and a simple challenge protocol for security, funded by interest rather than transaction fees.
Anon Aadhaar
A protocol for proving Aadhaar ID ownership privately.
0xPARC
A research collective exploring privacy and scaling infrastructures.
RaidGuild
A community of developers and designers collaborating on decentralized solutions.
Nethermind Research
Research arm of software engineering company Nethermind.
a16z Crypto Research
Research arm of the crypto arm of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz
Client-Side GPU Acceleration by PSE
ZK proofs generated on users' devices while alligned with post-quantum goals.
Starshell - privacy-preserving Web3 wallet for the Secret Network ecosystem with built-in confidential computing features.
Payy - decentralized payment wallet enabling private peer-to-peer transactions with minimal fees.
Ambire - smart wallet with account abstraction, gasless transactions, and enhanced security through email/password recovery. First wallet to get completely green lighted on Walletbeat.
Simple Private Payment L2 by @Alpeh_V - A design for private stablecoin payments at near-zero cost, using zero-knowledge proofs for privacy and a simple challenge protocol for security, funded by interest rather than transaction fees.
Anon Aadhaar
A protocol for proving Aadhaar ID ownership privately.
0xPARC
A research collective exploring privacy and scaling infrastructures.
RaidGuild
A community of developers and designers collaborating on decentralized solutions.
Nethermind Research
Research arm of software engineering company Nethermind.
a16z Crypto Research
Research arm of the crypto arm of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz
Client-Side GPU Acceleration by PSE
ZK proofs generated on users' devices while alligned with post-quantum goals.
Support Week in Privacy
Ethereum Privacy Ecosystem mapping
Support Week in Privacy
Ethereum Privacy Ecosystem mapping
The Neo-Cypherpunk Era begins now
Carrying the torch from the first generation into a new wave of internet liberation.
Week in the Privacy News: 46
Past and upcoming week has both been booming with amazing stuff going on for those interested in privacy.
Ethereum Cypherpunk Congress #2 Case Study
Ethereum Cypherpunk Congress was a gathering of cypherpunks, privacy advocates, researchers, and developers who are building the foundations of a more private and secure Ethereum ecosystem.
The Neo-Cypherpunk Era begins now
Carrying the torch from the first generation into a new wave of internet liberation.
Week in the Privacy News: 46
Past and upcoming week has both been booming with amazing stuff going on for those interested in privacy.
Ethereum Cypherpunk Congress #2 Case Study
Ethereum Cypherpunk Congress was a gathering of cypherpunks, privacy advocates, researchers, and developers who are building the foundations of a more private and secure Ethereum ecosystem.
<100 subscribers
<100 subscribers
Share Dialog
Share Dialog
No comments yet