Blockchain tokenization experiments began in 2012 with “colored coins.” However, despite this initial release, many agree that it wasn’t until 2014 that tokenization’s full potential was achieved with the release of the scripting language that allowed complex programs and applications on Ethereum to interact with each other and with the Ethereum network. With the ability to issue custom assets without the burden of maintaining an entire blockchain infrastructure, over 600,000 token contracts were deployed on the Ethereum mainnet, initiating an up-and-coming digital token economy.
The caveat is that despite their fundamental role in the industry, tokenized digital assets have not seen any advancements when it comes to security. Therefore, while tokenization has seen widespread adoption and growth, many digital assets remain vulnerable to security breaches.
Blockchain’s foundation of transparency means a user’s financial activity is publicly available to the network, making crypto enthusiasts vulnerable to extortion, hacks or discrimination based on personal information that can be obtained, such as wealth level, political affiliations or sexual orientation. For this reason, confidential assets become crucial for high net-worth users and enterprise clients, who require privacy to maintain their competitive edge in the market.
The growing need for blockchain security later resulted in the launch of privacy coins. By definition, these coins are a type of cryptocurrency that provides users with anonymity and confidentiality when making transactions. To do so, these coins rely on advanced cryptographic techniques to hide transaction details, such as the sender, receiver and amount sent. While privacy coins work in theory, the
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