Edward Snowden urges privacy updates in Bitcoin amid Coinjoin closure

Edward
Snowden
has
called
on
blockchain
developers
to
enhance
Bitcoin’s
privacy
following
the
crypto
mixing
services
shutdown
due
to
U.S.
pressure.

Former
National
Security
Agency
(NSA)
contractor

Edward
Snowden
is
urging
blockchain
developers
to
prioritize
implementing
privacy
measures
in

Bitcoin
on
the
protocol
level,
following
the
recent
closure
of
mixing
services
in
the
U.S.

In

an
X
post
on
May
3,
Snowden
noted
he’d
been
warning
Bitcoin
developers
“for
ten
years
that
privacy
needs
to
be
provided
for
at
the
protocol
level,”
adding
that
“the
clock
is
ticking”
in
response
to
ZkSNACKs’
announcing
the
closure
of
Coinjoin,
a
crypto
mixing
service
that
is
set
to
sunset
its
services
on
Jun.
1.

ZkSNACKs,
the
developer
behind
Wasabi
Wallet,
earlier
announced
its
decision
to
stop
supporting
Coinjoin
amid
increasing
pressure
from
law
enforcement
in
the
U.S.

The
service’s
shutdown
follows
New
York
federal
prosecutors

accusing
Samourai
Wallet
founders
of
illegal
transactions
worth
over
$2
billion,
signaling
a
wider
crackdown
on
suspect
crypto
wallets
and
mixers
by
U.S.
authorities.
As
crypto.news

reported
earlier,
the
severity
of
the
charges
highlights
a
broader
crackdown
by
U.S.
authorities
on
crypto
wallets
and
mixers
engaged
in
questionable
activities.

Meanwhile,
Snowden
also

drew
attention
on
X
to
concerns
raised
by
Elizabeth
Goitein,
co-director
of
the
Liberty
and
National
Security
Program
at
the
Brennan
Center
for
Justice,
regarding
proposed
reforms
to
Section
702
of
the
Foreign
Intelligence
Surveillance
Act.
The
former
NSA
contractor
echoed
Goitein’s
warnings,
saying
the
NSA
is
now
“days
away
from
taking
over
the
internet.”