Amber Baldet: Blockchain Alone Isn't A Privacy Cure-All

Amber Baldet argued that the blockchain is not a solution for privacy protection in a Monday speech.

AccessTimeIconApr 23, 2018 at 5:35 p.m. UTC
Updated Aug 18, 2021 at 8:53 p.m. UTC

Presented By Icon

Election 2024 coverage presented by

Stand with crypto

Blockchain "maximalism" will not solve internet privacy concerns, Amber Baldet said on Monday.

The former JPMorgan blockchain lead made the comments during a talk on the "Internet of Value" and delivered to MIT Technology Review's Business of Blockchain conference.

  • Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
    13:18
    Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
  • Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
    05:10
    Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
  • The first video of the year 2024
    04:07
    The first video of the year 2024
  • The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
    40:07
    The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
  • "The maximalism that we have to do everything in a decentralized way is a bit of a fallacy," she said, going on to explain:

    "If you want private, secure communications, [you should] almost never use a blockchain. You want something that is ephemeral, not immutable." 

    instead suggested that hybrid disclosing networks could offer a better solution. Likewise, she claimed that the blockchain is not a privacy solution, but rather "fundamentally an information security product."

    Her speech highlighted the wide variety of blockchain and distributed ledger technologies and emphasized that there is no single correct approach among the various versions. She also commented that "given the trade-off between privacy and convenience, people have always chosen convenience."

    Baldet, who oversaw the development of JPMorgan's permissioned blockchain, Quorum, left the Wall Street bank earlier this month to start her own venture. She has not yet revealed any further details on her plans.

    Amber Baldet image via YouTube

    Correction: The headline of this article has been updated to better reflect the intent of Amber Baldet's remarks. CoinDesk regrets the earlier headline. Further, this report has been updated to correct the name of MIT Technology Review's Business of Blockchain event. 

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information have been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of the Bullish group, which owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish group equity-based compensation. Bullish was incubated by technology investor Block.one.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.