What if using blockchain was as simple as chatting with AI?

In this episode of Privacy Podcast, host Ben Schiller sits down with Akshit Ostwal, Co Founder of Epoch Protocol, to explore how intents-based infrastructure is transforming the way people interact with blockchain networks (including privacy networks!) and why it could become the missing layer that finally takes crypto mainstream.

Akshit explains why users should no longer have to navigate wallets, bridges, swaps, or multiple blockchains just to complete a transaction. Instead, intent-based systems allow users to simply define the outcome they want, while specialized solver networks handle the complexity behind the scenes.

The conversation also explores Epoch's partnership with Miden and how programmable privacy enables institutions, businesses, and developers to execute transactions confidentially without sacrificing regulatory compliance. They discuss how privacy preserving infrastructure can unlock new use cases for payments, payroll, decentralized finance, and enterprise adoption.

Finally, Akshit shares his vision for the future of AI-powered finance, explaining how intelligent agents, real world assets, and intent driven execution could fundamentally reshape how people and software interact with the financial system.

The conversation explores:

• Why intent based infrastructure could eliminate blockchain complexity for everyday users
• How solver networks execute transactions across chains without exposing users to technical friction
• Why programmable privacy is critical for institutional adoption of blockchain technology
• How Epoch and Miden are building privacy preserving execution for on chain finance
• The growing role of AI agents in managing financial transactions and investment decisions
• Why real world assets, stablecoins, and tokenized finance are accelerating blockchain adoption
• How intent based systems could become the operating layer for the next generation of Web3 applications
• Why the future of crypto depends on focusing on user outcomes instead of transaction mechanics

Why This Matters

Blockchain technology has matured dramatically, but user experience remains one of its greatest barriers to widespread adoption. As institutions, enterprises, AI agents, and everyday users increasingly interact with digital assets, the underlying infrastructure must become as seamless as the internet itself. This conversation explores how intent based execution, programmable privacy, and AI powered automation could remove the technical complexity that has limited Web3 for years, making decentralized finance more accessible, secure, and practical for the next generation of users.

🔗 About the 👤 Guest

Akshit Ostwal is the Co Founder of Epoch Protocol, an intent based execution network building the infrastructure that simplifies blockchain interactions for users, applications, AI agents, and institutions. A longtime Web3 builder and entrepreneur, Akshit previously co-founded Orange Wallet before launching Epoch to solve one of blockchain's biggest challenges: abstracting away technical complexity while enabling secure, cross chain execution. Today, Epoch is working with Miden to advance programmable privacy and build the infrastructure powering the next generation of on-chain finance.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshitostwal/
X (Twitter): @OstwalAk
Epoch Protocol: https://epochprotocol.xyz/
Miden: https://miden.xyz

About the Show

The Privacy Podcast by Miden explores the intersection of privacy, identity, and emerging technologies. Hosted by Ben Schiller, the show brings together builders, regulators, and thinkers shaping what comes next in a world where data is power.

Executive Producer Michele Musso
Edited by the Musso Media Team

Music: licensed.

All rights reserved. ©2026 Musso Media

What happens when privacy, programmable money, and artificial intelligence collide?

In this episode of Privacy Podcast, host Ben Schiller sits down with Gordon Liao, Chief Economist and Head of Research at Circle, to explore how stablecoins are reshaping global finance, and why privacy is becoming essential for institutional blockchain adoption.

Drawing on his experience at the Federal Reserve, the CFTC, Uniswap, and now Circle, Gordon explains why stablecoins have evolved far beyond digital payments into programmable financial infrastructure powering the next generation of commerce.

The conversation also examines Circle's new approach to blockchain privacy, balancing confidentiality with regulatory compliance, and why optional privacy may be the key to bringing traditional financial institutions on-chain.

Finally, Gordon shares his outlook on AI agents, programmable money, and how autonomous software could soon become one of the largest users of stablecoins.

The conversation explores:

• Why stablecoins have evolved beyond payments into programmable financial infrastructure
• How Circle's ARC Privacy aims to balance privacy with regulatory compliance
• The role of trusted execution environments (TEEs) in protecting blockchain transactions
• Why institutions require privacy before adopting public blockchain technology
• The tradeoffs between transparency, market efficiency, and confidentiality
• How decentralized finance changes traditional financial risk models
• The impact of emerging stablecoin regulation and global adoption
• Why AI agents may become the next major users of stablecoins and blockchain networks

Why This Matters
Stablecoins are quickly becoming a foundational layer of the global digital economy—but their long-term success depends on balancing innovation with privacy, transparency, and regulatory compliance. As institutions, governments, and AI-powered systems increasingly transact on blockchain networks, the infrastructure supporting those transactions must evolve to meet real-world business needs. This conversation explores how programmable privacy, trusted financial infrastructure, and emerging regulation could shape the future of digital finance, offering valuable insights for anyone working in blockchain, financial services, cybersecurity, or enterprise technology.

🔗 About the 👤 Guest
Gordon Liao is Chief Economist and Head of Research at Circle, where he leads research on stablecoins, digital assets, and blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Prior to Circle, he held roles at Uniswap Labs, the Federal Reserve Board, and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). His work focuses on financial markets, digital payments, decentralized finance, and the future of programmable money.

LinkedIn: Gordon Y. Liao

X (Twitter): @gordonliao

Personal Website: gliao.xyz

Circle Profile: Circle

Arc (Circle's Layer-1 Blockchain): arc.io

About the Show
The Privacy Podcast by Miden explores the intersection of privacy, identity, and emerging technologies. Hosted by Ben Schiller, the show brings together builders, regulators, and thinkers shaping what comes next in a world where data is power.

Executive Producer Michele Musso
Edited by the Musso Media Team
Music: licensed.
All rights reserved. ©2026 Musso Media

As blockchain technology moves beyond speculation and into mainstream financial infrastructure, one question continues to shape the future of digital assets: Can privacy and compliance coexist?

In this episode of the Privacy Podcast, Ben Schiller sits down with Nikhil Raghuveera, Co-Founder and CEO of Predicate, to explore how programmable compliance is reshaping on chain finance without sacrificing the privacy principles that made blockchain revolutionary.

Drawing on his experience leading strategy and innovation at Celo and advising policymakers on digital assets, Nikhil explains why the next generation of financial infrastructure requires a new approach to compliance...one built specifically for blockchain rather than adapted from traditional banking.

"The SEC is comfortable with the zero knowledge proof for investor accreditation... but then you also need financial institutions and tech companies to say, 'Yes, we will actually implement this and accept it on our end.'" - Nikhil

Throughout the discussion, Nikhil argues that privacy should not be viewed as being in conflict with compliance. Instead, emerging technologies such as zero knowledge proofs offer an opportunity to meet regulatory requirements while minimizing unnecessary collection of personal data.

The conversation explores:

• How Predicate brings programmable compliance to blockchain
• Why on chain compliance differs from traditional finance
• The future of stablecoin compliance and asset controls
• The impact of the CLARITY Act and GENIUS Act
• Whether the Bank Secrecy Act needs modernization
• How zero knowledge proofs can protect privacy while supporting compliance
• Balancing privacy, regulation, and financial surveillance
• Why businesses are key to driving privacy preserving technologies
• What policymakers can do to support innovation without creating a surveillance state

Why This Matters
As digital assets become part of mainstream finance, the challenge is no longer whether regulation is coming...it's how to balance compliance with privacy and innovation. This episode explores how emerging technologies and evolving policy can help build a more secure, trusted, and privacy preserving financial system.

🔗 About the 👤 Guest

LinkedIn: Nikhil Raghuveera on LinkedIn

X (Twitter): @pumpernikhil

Learn more about Predicate: Predicate

About the Show
The Privacy Podcast by Miden explores the intersection of privacy, identity, and emerging technologies. Hosted by Ben Schiller, the show brings together builders, regulators, and thinkers shaping what comes next in a world where data is power.
Executive Producer Michele Musso
Edited by the Musso Media Team
Music: licensed.
All rights reserved. ©2026 Musso Media

As institutions move on-chain and privacy becomes a growing concern, zero-knowledge technology is emerging as a critical building block for the next generation of the internet.

This week on Privacy Podcast, host Ben Schiller sits down with Eli Ben-Sasson, CEO and Co-Founder of StarkWare, mathematician, entrepreneur, and one of the pioneers behind zero-knowledge technology.

Eli, one of the founders of Zcash, discusses his new book on ZK proofs, why blockchain and zero-knowledge technology are fundamentally changing how trust is established online, and how privacy, scalability, and integrity can coexist in the digital world.

From Zcash to Starknet to the future of institutional adoption, Eli shares his vision for an internet where users have greater control over their identity, assets, and data.

"Technology in service of people, empowering them, giving them a place to basically ground their own reputation, finances, ownership, life." — Eli Ben-Sasson

What We Cover:

• Why zero-knowledge technology complements blockchain
• How ZK can improve privacy, scalability, and trust online
• The inspiration behind Eli's new book on zero-knowledge proofs
• The evolution of Zcash and the growing demand for privacy solutions
• Why institutions increasingly view privacy as a requirement for on-chain adoption
• StarkWare's new privacy innovations, including Stark BTC and Stark20
• The challenges of balancing privacy and user experience
• How academics can successfully transition into entrepreneurship
• Why crypto infrastructure continues to advance regardless of market cycles
• What the future of ZK could look like in everyday life

Why This Matters

As more financial activity, digital identity, and business operations move on-chain, privacy is becoming one of the most important challenges facing blockchain technology. Zero-knowledge proofs offer a path toward maintaining trust and transparency while protecting sensitive information. The technologies being built today could help shape how people transact, communicate, and establish trust online for decades to come.

Connect With Eli Ben-Sasson

• LinkedIn: Eli Ben-Sasson
• X (Twitter): @EliBenSasson
• StarkWare: StarkWare Official Website
• Starknet: Starknet Official Website
• The Stark Book: The Stark Book Website
  
  

About the Show

The Privacy Podcast by Miden explores the intersection of privacy, identity, and emerging technologies. Hosted by Ben Schiller, the show brings together builders, regulators, and thinkers shaping what comes next in a world where data is power.

Executive Producer Michele Musso
Edited by the Musso Media Team
Music: licensed.
All rights reserved. ©2026 Musso Media

TRM Labs researcher Liam Glennon joins Ben Schiller to explore why privacy is becoming a critical feature for institutional crypto adoption, and how the industry is working to balance confidentiality, security, and regulatory compliance.

In this episode of Privacy Podcast, host Ben Schiller sits down with Liam Glennon, researcher and analyst at TRM Labs, to discuss the findings from his latest report examining how privacy technologies are evolving across the digital asset ecosystem.

Liam explains why institutional investors, regulators, blockchain builders, and financial institutions are increasingly focused on privacy, not as a way to avoid oversight, but as a necessary component of security, competitiveness, and mainstream adoption. The conversation explores emerging privacy frameworks, including view keys, selective disclosure, membership proofs, and zero-knowledge technologies, along with the tradeoffs that come with each approach.

The discussion also challenges one of crypto's longest-held assumptions: that complete transparency automatically leads to greater security. Using examples such as major blockchain exploits and evolving institutional use cases, Liam argues that privacy can actually strengthen security by limiting the information available to attackers while still enabling compliance when necessary.

From stablecoins and tokenized assets to regulatory expectations and the future of digital identity, this episode offers a thoughtful look at how privacy infrastructure may shape the next phase of blockchain adoption.

Why This Matters

• Why institutions are increasingly demanding privacy solutions in blockchain environments
• The difference between privacy and anonymity in modern crypto systems
• How view keys enable selective disclosure for compliance purposes
• Why transparency can sometimes create security vulnerabilities
• The role of zero-knowledge proofs in future financial systems
• How regulators are approaching privacy-preserving technologies
• Why stablecoins and tokenized assets may become major drivers of privacy adoption
• The challenges of balancing user confidentiality with anti-money laundering requirements
• How privacy technologies could become the "HTTPS upgrade" for blockchain

What We Cover

• Privacy is evolving from a niche feature into a requirement for institutional blockchain adoption.
• Selective disclosure mechanisms are emerging as a practical bridge between privacy and compliance.
• Security and privacy are increasingly interconnected rather than competing priorities.
• Regulators appear more open to privacy-preserving technologies than many industry participants assume.
• Stablecoins and tokenized assets may accelerate the adoption of privacy infrastructure across financial markets.

Guest

• Liam Glennon on LinkedIn
• TRM Labs
  
  

About the Show

The Privacy Podcast by Miden explores the intersection of privacy, identity, and emerging technologies. Hosted by Ben Schiller, the show brings together builders, regulators, and thinkers shaping what comes next in a world where data is power.

Executive Producer Michele Musso
Edited by the Musso Media Team

Music: licensed.

All rights reserved. ©2026 Musso Media

Can privacy and compliance finally coexist on blockchain networks?

On this episode of The Privacy Podcast, Ben Schiller speaks with Muthu [ Muthuramakrishnan Venkitasubramaniam], CEO and co-founder of Ligero and professor at Georgetown University, about the next evolution of zero knowledge technology and why privacy infrastructure is moving from niche cryptography research into mainstream internet systems.

Muthu explains how his early academic work on zero knowledge proofs unexpectedly became part of Google’s identity stack, why client side proving could reshape digital identity and financial systems, and how privacy preserving compliance may become one of the defining technologies of the next decade.

The conversation explores the tension between decentralization, regulation, usability, and auditability, while also unpacking why privacy infrastructure is no longer just a blockchain issue, but an internet wide issue.

“The same zero knowledge proof that allows you to do private transactions also provides compliance.”

For years, blockchain systems prioritized transparency and decentralization, often at the expense of privacy. But as institutional finance, identity systems, and regulators begin entering the space, the demand for privacy preserving infrastructure is accelerating quickly.

Muthu V. argues that zero knowledge proofs may finally bridge the long standing gap between privacy and compliance. From proving identity without exposing personal data to enabling private payroll systems powered by stablecoins, the episode examines how cryptography is evolving from theory into real world infrastructure.

The discussion also explores Google’s adoption of Ligero related technology for identity verification and why major enterprise adoption may become the tipping point for regulators and mainstream acceptance.

What We Cover

• How Muthu first became fascinated with cryptography and zero knowledge proofs
• Why blockchain accelerated real world adoption of ZK technology
• The difference between public proving systems and client side proving
• Why privacy should happen directly on user devices
• The usability problem facing privacy infrastructure today
• How zero knowledge proofs can provide both privacy and compliance
• Why regulators are becoming more interested in ZK systems
• Google’s adoption of Ligero related technology for identity systems
• The future of self sovereign compliance and digital identity
• Why payroll may become one of blockchain’s biggest privacy use cases
• The rise of private stablecoin infrastructure and composable finance
• Why Muthu believes ZK technology will become mainstream internet infrastructure

Why This Matters

Privacy is quickly becoming one of the most important infrastructure conversations in technology.

As more financial activity, identity systems, and personal data move online, traditional models of surveillance based compliance are becoming increasingly difficult to scale. Zero knowledge systems introduce a new framework where users can prove compliance without surrendering unnecessary personal information.

The implications stretch far beyond crypto.

From digital IDs and payroll systems to banking, healthcare, and online authentication, privacy preserving cryptography may fundamentally reshape how trust operates across the internet.

Guest Muthu V. is the CEO and co-founder of Ligero and a professor at Georgetown University specializing in cryptography, zero knowledge proofs, and secure computation systems.

🌐 Ligero Official Website

💼 Muthu V. on LinkedIn

💻 Ligero GitHub

About the Show
The Privacy Podcast by Miden explores the intersection of privacy, identity, and emerging technologies. Hosted by Ben Schiller, the show brings together builders, regulators, and thinkers shaping what comes next in a world where data is power.

Executive Producer Michele Musso
Edited by the Musso Media Team
Music: licensed.
All rights reserved. ©2026 Musso Media

Inside the race to rebuild blockchain before transparency becomes a liability.

Crypto was supposed to protect users. Instead, it may have accidentally exposed them.

In this episode of The Privacy Podcast, host Ben Schiller sits down with Azeem Khan and Bobbin Threadbare, co-founders of Miden, to unpack a hard truth: most blockchains today are not private, and that’s a massive problem.

What many users believe is anonymous is anything but. And as AI rapidly advances, the illusion of privacy is collapsing even faster.

“In the next two years… you type in someone’s address and get their full history.”

This conversation explores why privacy isn’t just a feature upgrade, it’s a requirement for survival and how Miden is building a new generation of blockchain designed to fix it.

Why This Matters

Right now, every transaction on most blockchains is permanently visible. That means your salary, your spending habits, your assets, all exposed. And the consequences are already showing up. From targeted attacks to real-world safety risks, transparency at this level isn’t empowering, it’s dangerous.

“Transparent blockchains are almost perfect surveillance tools.”

Azeem and Bobbin make it clear: if privacy solutions don’t scale quickly, the industry risks undermining its own foundation.

What We Cover

• Why most blockchains today are fundamentally not private
• How AI is accelerating the collapse of pseudo-anonymity
• The real-world risks of exposing financial data on-chain
• What makes Miden a third-generation blockchain
• How zero-knowledge proofs unlock privacy + scalability
• Why computation is moving client-side instead of on-chain
• The trade-offs between decentralization, privacy, and security
• Why launching centralized first may actually be safer
• The future of blockchain: from finance to healthcare and beyond

Privacy is existential for crypto, and without it, adoption will stall or potentially fail. What many consider anonymity today is largely an illusion, as AI is rapidly making deanonymization cheap and nearly instantaneous. At the same time, full transparency introduces real risks, exposing users to surveillance and even physical harm. Zero-knowledge technology offers a path forward by enabling privacy without sacrificing trust, and the next generation of blockchains is already being built with these principles at its core.

The Bottom Line

Crypto promised a better system. But without privacy, it may recreate something worse.

Azeem and Bobbin aren’t just building another blockchain, they’re building infrastructure for a future where users don’t have to choose between transparency and safety.

Because the next phase of this industry won’t be defined by speed or scale…

It will be defined by whether users can exist without being exposed.

🔗 About the 👤 Guest

Azeem Khan

• LinkedIn:
  https://www.linkedin.com/in/azeemkhan
• X (Twitter):
  https://x.com/azeemkhan

Bobbin Threadbare

• X (Twitter):
  https://x.com/bobbinth

🌐 Miden
Website:
miden.xyz

About the Show

The Privacy Podcast by Miden explores the intersection of privacy, identity, and emerging technologies. Hosted by Ben Schiller, the show brings together builders, regulators, and thinkers shaping what comes next in a world where data is power.

Executive Producer Michele Musso
Edited by the Musso Media Team
Music: licensed.
All rights reserved. ©2026 Musso Media

Why the future of the internet depends on owning your data and why today’s systems are already failing

What if your identity didn’t belong to Big Tech… or even the government?

What if it actually belonged to you?

In this episode of The Privacy Podcast, host Ben Schiller talks with Wayne Chang, Founder of Spruce ID, to explore one of the most overlooked problems in tech today: identity.

From logging into websites to accessing healthcare, our digital identities are fragmented, insecure, and often completely out of our control. Chang breaks down how we got here and why the current system, built on emails, passwords, and centralized platforms, is fundamentally broken.

“We want users to control their data flows like a water faucet… under their control.”

From “Sign-In with Ethereum” to government-backed digital credentials, this conversation explores a future where identity is portable, private, and owned by the individual.

Why This Matters

Right now, your identity lives everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

It’s stored in silos across platforms, vulnerable to breaches, and increasingly easy to fake in an era of AI-generated everything.

And the cracks are starting to show.

Chang points to a near-future where identity fraud becomes scalable, cheap, and nearly impossible to detect using today’s systems.

“We’re going to reach a precipice moment where attacks get cheap enough to execute at scale.”

The result? A complete breakdown of trust online.

But there’s another path forward, one built on cryptography, decentralization, and user control.

What We Cover

• Why today’s identity systems are a “patchwork” and fundamentally insecure
• How AI and deepfakes are exposing major flaws in digital verification
• The origin and impact of Sign-In with Ethereum
• What digital credentials actually are and why they matter
• Why governments, healthcare, and finance are key to fixing identity
• The Utah model and a new policy-first approach to digital ID
• Why identity should be human-centric, not platform-centric
• The role of decentralized protocols in rebuilding trust online
• How identity unlocks real-world blockchain use cases

The Bottom Line

The internet made it easy to connect. It did not make it safe to trust.

Wayne Chang is building toward a future where identity is no longer something you hand over, but something you control.

Because in the next phase of the internet, the most important question won’t be what platform you use…

It will be who you are and whether you can prove it.

🔗 About the 👤 Guest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/waynebuilds/
Personal Website: https://wycd.net

Company Website (SpruceID): https://www.spruceid.com

X (Twitter): https://x.com/wycdd

Author page (SpruceID blog): https://blog.spruceid.com/author/wayne/

About the Show

The Privacy Podcast by Miden explores the intersection of privacy, identity, and emerging technologies. Hosted by Ben Schiller, the show brings together builders, regulators, and thinkers shaping what comes next in a world where data is power.

Executive Producer Michele Musso
Edited by the Musso Media Team

Music: licensed.

All rights reserved. ©2026 Musso Media