Edward Snowden Issues Urgent Privacy Warning to Bitcoin Community
Renowned whistleblower Edward Snowden has sounded the alarm over protocol-level privacy in Bitcoin, following Wasabi Wallet's decision to discontinue its coordination service in June 2024. This move has sparked significant concerns in the crypto space, as it affects users of other wallet clients connected to the zkSNACKs coordinator, including Trezor Suite and BTCPayServer.
Snowden expressed disappointment and urged Wasabi Wallet to explore decentralized coordinator options or alternative configurations to maintain privacy protections. He has long advocated for integrating advanced privacy features into Bitcoin's underlying infrastructure to safeguard users' financial sovereignty.
The discontinuation of the Coin Join coordination service is a significant setback for privacy in Bitcoin. While Wasabi Wallet will continue to function as a BTC wallet with reduced privacy features, Snowden's warning highlights the urgent need for protocol-level privacy measures to be integrated into the Bitcoin protocol. He has consistently emphasized the importance of protecting users' privacy and financial sovereignty in the face of growing surveillance and censorship threats.
