{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Privacy Podcast","title":"Google, Zero Knowledge, and the Future of Self Sovereign Privacy | Muthu V. of Ligero","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1910,"description":"Can privacy and compliance finally coexist on blockchain networks?On this episode of The Privacy Podcast, Ben Schiller speaks with Muthu [ Muthuramakrishnan Venkitasubramaniam], CEO and co-founder of Ligero and professor at Georgetown University, about the next evolution of zero knowledge technology and why privacy infrastructure is moving from niche cryptography research into mainstream internet systems.Muthu explains how his early academic work on zero knowledge proofs unexpectedly became part of Google’s identity stack, why client side proving could reshape digital identity and financial systems, and how privacy preserving compliance may become one of the defining technologies of the next decade.The conversation explores the tension between decentralization, regulation, usability, and auditability, while also unpacking why privacy infrastructure is no longer just a blockchain issue, but an internet wide issue.              “The same zero knowledge proof that allows you to do private transactions also provides compliance.”For years, blockchain systems prioritized transparency and decentralization, often at the expense of privacy. But as institutional finance, identity systems, and regulators begin entering the space, the demand for privacy preserving infrastructure is accelerating quickly.Muthu V. argues that zero knowledge proofs may finally bridge the long standing gap between privacy and compliance. From proving identity without exposing personal data to enabling private payroll systems powered by stablecoins, the episode examines how cryptography is evolving from theory into real world infrastructure.The discussion also explores Google’s adoption of Ligero related technology for identity verification and why major enterprise adoption may become the tipping point for regulators and mainstream acceptance.What We Cover• How Muthu first became fascinated with cryptography and zero knowledge proofs• Why blockchain accelerated real world adoption of ZK...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/vpEuAfjPdK-wDcHhqYiQw4VjsckbaPox0yUDwiaMCsg/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS82ZmI4/ZTgwY2E4YzI2Zjky/ZGRhZTVkZjIxMzU5/ZjFlNi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}