Binance founder Changpeng Zhao says blockchain transparency stops companies from using crypto for salaries. Public transaction data exposes payment amounts.
Changpeng Zhao raised privacy concerns about mainstream crypto adoption. The Binance co-founder said public blockchains expose too much financial data. According to CZ on X, companies can’t pay workers in crypto without exposing salaries.
Anyone can view payment amounts by checking wallet addresses. This creates problems for businesses.
The transparency of Bitcoin and Ethereum works against their use as payment systems. Wallet addresses might not show names directly. But they can be traced to people over time.
Salary Data Goes Public
CZ pointed to a simple scenario. A company pays employees onchain. Traditional banking keeps that data private.
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Personal safety worries the executive too. If everyone sees how much crypto someone holds, they become targets. He discussed this earlier with Chamath Palihapitiya on the All-In Podcast. Theft and scams follow visibility. High-profile individuals face bigger risks.
Anyone visiting the company wallet sees each worker’s compensation. Every transaction sits on a public ledger accessible to everyone.
These issues match broader crypto community debates. Early Bitcoin supporters followed cypherpunk thinking, pushing for strong encryption.
AI Speeds Up The Problem
Artificial intelligence makes these privacy gaps worse. Eran Barak ran Shielded Technologies. He said AI lets hackers focus on public data better now.
Transaction data reveals more than payment amounts. It exposes supply chains and partnerships, according to Avidan Abitbol. He formerly worked with Kaspa cryptocurrency. Businesses won’t adopt crypto if transactions can’t stay confidential.
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AI tools will sift through multiple sources looking for clues. They predict outcomes. With permanent blockchain data, AI scans huge transaction volumes and identifies high-value targets easily.
Competitors can study blockchain activity to estimate revenue trends. They identify key business partners. This transparency hurts companies during negotiations.
Trade Secrets Exposed
An AI system could watch wallet activity and identify repeat payments. The system estimates how much crypto companies control, as Coin Bureau on X warned about CZ and Chamath’s discussion. That builds financial profiles without accessing private accounts.
It shows client relationships and financial activity patterns too. Attackers see large transfers and use that data for phishing attacks. They plan fraud based on payment patterns they observe.
Barak claims AI capabilities will make onchain privacy technologies essential. These tools hide transaction details while blockchains verify payments remain valid.
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Centralized servers already attract cybercriminals. The gap between crypto’s transparency and business needs remains wide.
Bitcoin was meant as peer-to-peer digital currency. It would transfer without banks or intermediaries. Early adopters saw privacy as foundational, not optional. Some blockchain projects test privacy improvements now. Zero-knowledge proofs and cryptographic techniques show promise.
But widespread adoption hasn’t happened yet. Without privacy protection, crypto won’t replace traditional payments for regular expenses. Salaries require confidentiality. So do supplier payments.
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Companies need solutions. Until privacy improves, mainstream payment adoption faces serious obstacles. Businesses won’t risk exposing financial data just to use cryptocurrency. That’s the barrier CZ identified.
