BREAKDOWN: Jonathan Wu on Why Technology Might Be a Better Solution to Privacy Than Public Policy
CoinDesk Podcast Network
CoinDesk
4.8 • 689 Ratings
🗓️ 11 November 2022
⏱️ 23 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Plus a primer on the promise of zero-knowledge proofs.
This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io and Circle.
Jon Wu works on growth with Aztec Network and is a deep thinker when it comes to the challenges of privacy in a digital age. In this conversation, he and NLW discuss privacy from a principle and ethics standpoint, zero-knowledge proofs and whether technology could solve problems that many think only public policy holds an answer for.
Find out guest on Twitter: @jonwu_
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Circle, the sole issuer of the trusted and reliable stablecoin USDC, is our sponsor for today’s show. USDC is a fast, cost-effective solution for global payments at internet speeds. Learn how businesses are taking advantage of these opportunities at Circle’s USDC Hub for Businesses.
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“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. Music behind our sponsors today is “War” by Enoch Yang. Image credit: Camerique/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | So I think that we're in the second inning of helping regulators understand that because number one, |
| 0:05.3 | it's a big mind shift to go from centralized to decentralized systems and then to go from totally |
| 0:09.6 | public systems where all information can be accessed to private systems where you have to trust |
| 0:14.8 | the cryptography. I think this is like a key here. Rather than trusting an intermediary, we're trusting |
| 0:19.2 | math. And I think getting regulators to like really understand that is going to be a bit of a leap. |
| 0:23.6 | I have faith that we're going to get there there. |
| 0:25.6 | Otherwise, you know, I wouldn't be working anymore. |
| 0:27.6 | Welcome back to The Breakdown with me, NLW. |
| 0:31.6 | It's a daily podcast on macro, Bitcoin, and the big picture power shifts remaking our world. |
| 0:38.7 | The breakdown is sponsored by nexo.io and circle and produced and distributed by CoinDesk. |
| 0:46.2 | What's going on, guys? It is Friday, November 11th. And today we have a breakdown interview with |
| 0:52.3 | John Wu. But before we get into that, however, if you are |
| 0:55.4 | enjoying the breakdown, please go subscribe to it, give it a rating, give it a review, or if you |
| 0:59.8 | want to dive deeper into the conversation, come join us on the Breakers Discord. You can find |
| 1:04.1 | a link in the show notes or go to bit.ly slash breakdown pod. All right, folks, today I am |
| 1:09.8 | excited to welcome John Wu to the show. John Wu runs growth |
| 1:13.6 | at Aztec Network. Astec built itself as the privacy layer for Web3 and is a private by default |
| 1:19.3 | smart contract platform secured by Ethereum. In this conversation, we discuss zero knowledge |
| 1:24.3 | proofs, the right to privacy, and why the regulatory discussion of privacy |
| 1:28.2 | is just beginning. All right, John, welcome to the breakdown. How are you, sir? Thanks, doing well. |
| 1:34.9 | Thanks for having me. Yeah, no, I'm super excited. So whenever I do kind of an interview series, |
| 1:39.5 | there's always inevitably something about privacy, and it's always a topic that people |
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