Privacy On NEAR Protocol: Top New Projects

Since its inception, NEAR Protocol has been invested in creating a welcoming environment for privacy-advocates and builders. Privacy is not only a value endorsed with words but a pillar that is supported by concrete actions and commitments. By providing support to a large number of projects focused on creating privacy-enhancing applications, NEAR is paving the way for a new Internet era where users will be free from corporate manipulation and privacy abuses.

In the past year, NEAR Protocol has attracted many builders interested in creating privacy solutions, in particular when it comes to DeFi and data ownership. Let’s take a look at some of the new projects that are currently being built.

Calimero Network

Calimero is probably one of the most interesting developments when it comes to privacy on NEAR, and with good reason! Calimero is building a private sharding infrastructure that will allow any business, consortiums, or any community, to fully customize their own private blockchain. This will allow businesses that by design require privacy to tap into Web3 seamlessly and without compromising their business operations.

By deploying a private shard businesses will be able to unlock:

• Interoperability with open source protocols to enhance their applications
• Seamless swap of assets between private and other publish chains thanks to the Calimero Bridge
• Perform cross-sharding transactions

In addition to providing a solid private sharding infrastructure, Calimero also offers a variety of tools such as the Calimero Console and Calimero Enterprise to facilitate the deployment of private shards. For more information about the project we encourage you to check out their blog.

Hideyour.cash

Hideyour.cash is a new private transaction protocol (mixer) that tries to provide its users the means to exercise their right to privacy while preventing bad actors from taking advantage of such service. The way in which Hideyour.cash achieves it is by implementing an interface that can integrate ZK proofs for set membership (vector-commitment schemes) with a blocklist/allowlist. The allowlist works with KYC providers to prevent Sybil attacks, and the blocklist with KYT providers with Oracles, that prevent malicious actors from withdrawing their funds.

Hideyour.cash is soon going to launch its beta test, stay tuned for further developments!

Re-check

Re-check is a security and privacy sensitive data exchange platform for securing the private sharing of sensitive business or personal data. With Re-check, businesses can upload and encrypt important data in their digital vault where each item is registered on the blockchain and its authenticity is independently verified. These data and files can then be shared privately with selected recipients that are exclusively controlled by the users. Lately, it allows for digital signing and transparency that does not infringe upon the user’ right to privacy. Each interaction with the files creates traceable and GDPR-compliant evidence on the blockchain. See if your shared files are decrypted and when they are accessed.

ReCheck is currently provided as an online SaaS or can be integrated as a pluggable component to any platform via an SDK. For more information about this protocol and its development, check out their website and social media.

Notebook Labs

The final project that makes it to our list on top new privacy enhancing projects on NEAR is Notebook Labs, KYC platform that implements Zero-Knowledge cryptography for guaranteeing anonymity. Notebook’s solution is particularly relevant for the growth of DeFi protocols that see their scope of financial products reduced by the inability to differentiate between honest users and fraudulent actors. To solve this problem, Notebook Labs implemented a decentralized Notebook to keep a log of a user’s activities on the blockchain without exposing any personal information on the process. Each individual can only open one single Notebook and they can grant permission to access protocols to interact with. This ultimately boosts interconnectivity and safety, without sacrificing anonymity.

About Cypherpunk Guild
The Cypherpunk Guild is a group of privacy-minded developers, marketers, and entrepreneurs, jointly collaborating to pioneer a future built around private transactions on NEAR Protocol and the larger crypto-verse. Led by two second-generation Cypherpunks, the Cypherpunk Guild supports the development of private applications on the Open Web, as a means of safeguarding user privacy and freedom.

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