The moment we've been waiting for
The moment we've been waiting for
Introducing the DC Privacy Summit
Hey there—today, instead of our normal reporting and ruminations on the crypto world, we have a very special announcement that we’re thrilled to share with you.
The Inaugural DC Privacy Summit
We started Glitch because we believe that there are crucial conversations about the future of software and the internet that are not occurring. The crypto industry has earned at least some of its reputation as a seedy digital casino. But this is far from the whole picture—beneath the facile narrative is a much more complex world of emerging technologies that are having profound impacts. That’s why one of the first storylines we trained our focus on was the Tornado Cash saga. If you live outside the cryptocurrency enthusiast echo chamber, it may be tempting to dismiss Tornado Cash as typical crypto shenanigans.
But there’s much more to this story than meets the eye. The legal conflict over Tornado Cash has illuminated an impasse that has been building between the government and proponents of blockchain technology for some time. Policymakers want to manage the illicit finance-related risks posed by decentralized systems the same way they do in traditional finance. Those who understand how blockchains work liken this to forcing a square peg into a round hole. This approach to regulation also comes with dire risks to online privacy.
The current trajectory of events is headed toward worsening legal conflict, national security threats, and harm to users. The US government has not only failed to completely stop people from using Tornado Cash despite levying sanctions on the smart contracts and prosecuting two developers—it has also picked a high-stakes fight over rights enshrined in the Constitution. Meanwhile, rogue nations and tech-savvy criminals remain empowered to use crypto tools for illicit purposes.
To help move this vital conversation forward, we are excited to announce a conference intended to help do just that: The inaugural DC Privacy Summit, organized by Project Glitch and PGP* for Crypto and sponsored by the Coinbase Institute, will take place from 9 AM to 4:30 PM on October 24, at the USC Capital Campus in Washington, DC.
The main objective of the Privacy Summit is to bring technologists, privacy advocates, and policy-minded folks into the same room to talk about how and why certain kinds of novel software systems call for a new policy mindset toward managing the risk of illicit use of these systems—and how in some cases advanced cryptography could play a role in forging a new path. Throughout the day, a diverse array of voices will take the stage and lay the groundwork for overcoming the current impasse—and help attendees see how the future of the internet hangs in the balance. We have an incredible lineup of speakers and a packed agenda—check out all the details at DCPrivacySummit.org. We have also recorded a podcast talking about the event with Paul Brigner, head of the Coinbase Institute.
Tornado Cash is an uncomfortable topic. But we can’t have a serious conversation without addressing the elephant in the room. We will not spend the day talking about Tornado Cash. Instead, we will use the topic as a springboard for an urgent dialogue about the future of privacy and how novel technologies are poised to transform how we manage and share our personal data. If you already know you’d like to attend, register here. And do hurry—we are keeping the event limited in size and some super-early movers have already started grabbing spots! We hope to see you there!