In the fast-paced world of crypto, sometimes a simple tweet can lead to extraordinary connections. That's exactly what happened when Mert Mumtaz, CEO of Helius Labs and a key figure in the Solana ecosystem, found himself in a Zoom call with some of the industry's heaviest hitters. Sharing his surprise on X (formerly Twitter), Mert highlighted how crypto breaks down barriers, allowing everyday builders to rub shoulders with legends.

예기치 못한 패널: 누가 참석했나?

The discussion took place during the Midnight Summit 2025, an invitation-only event focused on privacy-first blockchain innovations. Hosted by the Midnight Network—a sidechain on Cardano emphasizing zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs for data protection—the summit brought together thinkers and builders to shape the future of secure, private transactions.

Key participants included:

• Brendan Eich: Inventor of JavaScript and co-founder of Mozilla Firefox. His work laid the foundation for much of the modern web, and he's long been an advocate for privacy in tech.
• Illia Polosukhin: Co-author of the groundbreaking "Attention is All You Need" paper that introduced transformers, the backbone of large language models (LLMs) like GPT. He's also a co-founder of NEAR Protocol, which integrates privacy features.
• Zooko Wilcox: Founder of Zcash, a privacy-focused cryptocurrency that uses ZK-SNARKs (Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Arguments of Knowledge) to enable shielded transactions.
• Neil Campbell: A contributor to privacy tech discussions, often linked to innovative projects in the space.
• Mert Mumtaz: Bringing Solana's high-speed perspective, Mert has been vocal about integrating privacy tools into fast blockchains like Solana.

The panel dove into Zcash's role in advancing privacy, touching on acceleration techniques (possibly "privacy/acc" referring to privacy acceleration via hardware or optimizations). For those new to the term, Zcash allows users to transact without revealing amounts or addresses, a stark contrast to transparent ledgers like Bitcoin.

왜 지금 프라이버시가 중요한가

Privacy isn't just a buzzword—it's essential for real-world adoption. In a time when regulators scrutinize on-chain activity and data breaches make headlines, tools like ZK proofs help protect users without sacrificing decentralization. Midnight Network, backed by Cardano's Charles Hoskinson, aims to make this accessible for developers building dApps (decentralized applications).

As Mert noted in his tweet, "you can just tweet things" and end up in rooms like this. It's a testament to crypto's open nature, where ideas spread virally and collaborations form overnight. This aligns with recent developments, like Hoskinson's announcement of the Midnight token launch on December 8, signaling growing momentum for privacy chains.

밈 토큰과의 연관성 및 더 넓은 영향

While the panel focused on core tech, privacy has huge implications for meme tokens. Many meme coins thrive on community hype but face risks from traceable transactions—think whale dumps or targeted scams. Integrating Zcash-like shielding could anonymize trades, making meme ecosystems safer and more appealing to privacy-conscious holders.

Solana, where many memes launch due to low fees and speed, could benefit from these discussions. Projects like Helius Labs are already pushing for better infrastructure, and cross-chain privacy might unlock new use cases, from private DeFi to secure NFT trades.

향후 전망: 프라이버시 기술의 다음 단계는?

Events like Midnight Summit 2025, with its hackathon and expert talks, are accelerating innovation. If you're a blockchain practitioner, keep an eye on Midnight's blog for updates. As crypto evolves, privacy will likely become a standard, not an add-on—thanks to gatherings like this.

Mert's experience reminds us: In crypto, a tweet can be your ticket to the big leagues. Stay tuned for more insights as the summit unfolds.