Shahaf Bar-Geffen, CEO of COTI, believes that privacy should be the default in blockchain technology—intuitive, seamless, and non-intrusive for users. Bar-Geffen emphasized the importance of “selective disclosure,” a framework that allows users to share only the information they choose while maintaining control over their data.
COTI’s privacy-centric Ethereum layer 2 enables developers and users to decide what aspects of their transactions remain private. This approach abstracts the complexity of privacy-preserving technologies, making them as user-friendly as mainstream applications like WhatsApp. “People should assume privacy is there by default,” Bar-Geffen explained, highlighting COTI’s commitment to simplifying advanced cryptographic solutions for everyday use.
Bar-Geffen is also excited about recent advancements like “garbled circuits,” a multi-party computation technique that significantly enhances performance and scalability. This innovation runs 3,000 times faster than other solutions, ensuring that privacy-preserving technologies don’t hinder user experience.
AI, Bar-Geffen noted, plays a critical role in this landscape. With growing reliance on data for AI model training, privacy-preserving techniques like federated learning are essential. These methods allow organizations to collaborate on AI development without exposing sensitive data, bridging the gap between innovation and security.
For Bar-Geffen, the goal is clear: to create an “HTTPS moment” for blockchain, where encryption becomes the standard, enabling mass adoption and safeguarding user trust. By focusing on privacy as a foundational element, COTI is paving the way for a future where users no longer see privacy as a trade-off but as a given. “It’s about enabling innovation,” he said, “while protecting individual and institutional secrets.”
With its focus on usability, compliance, and cutting-edge technology, COTI is shaping a privacy-first approach to blockchain that resonates across industries.
