Arnaud Schenk, Executive Director and co-founder of Aztec, addresses the 2nd Annual DC Privacy Summit in Washington, DC. He discusses the shift from ideological to market-driven development in cryptography, the underestimation of modern cryptographic capabilities, and the disruptive nature of deploying these technologies. Schenk emphasizes the need for strategic deployment and effective public sector engagement to harness the potential of advanced cryptographic solutions in the blockchain space.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Welcome and Introduction
00:55 The Evolution of Privacy Tools
01:33 The Birth of Aztec
02:10 Challenges with Transparency in Blockchain
04:09 The Power of Modern Cryptography
08:26 The Disruptive Potential of Cryptographic Technologies
09:31 Final Thoughts and Call to Action
About the DC Privacy Summit
The 2nd Annual DC Privacy Summit was held on Thursday, October 16, 2025, at the University of Southern California Capital Campus in Washington, D.C.
The Summit brings together technologists, cryptographers, privacy professionals, policymakers, and advocates for a one-day program focused on the intersections of privacy, security, digital identity, and innovation in cryptographic systems.
Key themes included:
• Emerging cryptographic privacy systems and how they challenge traditional regulatory frameworks
• Approaches to managing illicit-finance risk in decentralized systems, including blockchain and cryptocurrency contexts
• The interdependence of privacy and security—how stronger privacy mechanisms can enhance safety for individuals and institutions
• Dialogue between builders, regulators, and civil-society leaders to shape policy frameworks that protect privacy while enabling innovation
The DC Privacy Summit serves as a forward-looking forum to explore practical, actionable solutions that integrate advanced cryptography, regulatory insight, and privacy-preserving system design.
Each video in this series features remarks from Summit speakers and includes timestamps highlighting major discussion points.
Learn more at dcprivacysummit.org