As financial institutions move more activity on-chain, privacy and interoperability are becoming critical to the future of blockchain adoption.
In this episode of The Privacy Podcast, host Ben Schiller sits down with Igor Mandrigin, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Gateway, to discuss the evolution of Ethereum infrastructure, institutional adoption, and why modern privacy technology could play a major role in bringing finance on-chain.
Igor explains why enterprises are moving beyond traditional permissioned blockchains toward newer privacy architectures and how zero-knowledge technology is making it possible to protect sensitive information while still proving that transactions follow network rules.
The conversation also explores interoperability and the risk of recreating traditional financial silos across disconnected blockchain networks. Ben and Igor discuss the AggLayer, changes within the Ethereum Foundation, and where institutions are showing the most interest today, including stablecoins, payments, real-world assets, and fintech platforms built on-chain from the start.
They also examine why privacy becomes even more important as blockchain moves into everyday financial products, where transparent transaction histories can expose information consumers and institutions expect to remain private.
In this episode, you'll learn:
• Why institutions are reconsidering permissioned blockchains
• How modern privacy technology can support enterprise adoption
• Why interoperability matters for the future of on-chain finance
• Where stablecoins and real-world assets fit into institutional adoption
• How Ethereum’s ecosystem is evolving
• Why privacy matters as blockchain enters everyday financial services
Why This Matters
As stablecoins, tokenized assets, and other financial services move on-chain, institutions need more than faster infrastructure. They need privacy, interoperability, and security that can work at scale.
Without those capabilities, blockchain risks recreating the same fragmented financial systems it was designed to improve. The next phase of adoption will depend on whether the industry can connect networks while protecting sensitive financial information and maintaining the benefits of open, verifiable infrastructure.
🔗 About the 👤 Guest
Igor Mandrigin is Co-Founder and Chief Technology and Product Officer (CTPO) at Gateway.fm, where he focuses on blockchain infrastructure, privacy, and technology for institutional on-chain adoption.
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About the Show
The Privacy Podcast by Miden explores the intersection of privacy, identity, and emerging technologies. Hosted by Ben Schiller, the show brings together builders, regulators, and thinkers shaping what comes next in a world where data is power.
Executive Producer Michele Musso
Edited by the
Musso Media Team
Music: licensed.
All rights reserved. ©2026 Musso Media
What is Privacy Podcast?
The Privacy Podcast by Miden explores the future of privacy, identity, and trust in a digital world being reshaped by blockchain and AI.
Hosted by Ben Schiller, The Privacy Podcast dives into one of the most critical questions facing technology today: How do we build a more private, secure, and trustworthy internet?
A former journalist with over a decade of experience covering crypto and emerging technologies, including six years at CoinDesk, Schiller brings a sharp editorial lens to conversations at the intersection of privacy, blockchain, and digital rights.
At its core, this podcast is driven by a simple idea: privacy is not optional. It is foundational to the next phase of the internet.
As blockchain technology moves from experimentation to real-world adoption, privacy becomes essential for onboarding institutions, enabling enterprise use cases, and unlocking the full potential of decentralized systems. At the same time, it addresses a deeper, long-standing issue. The modern internet was built without effective privacy infrastructure, giving rise to what is often described as a surveillance-based economy, where personal data is exchanged for access to services.
This show explores how that model is changing.
Produced by Musso Media, The Privacy Podcast features conversations with leading builders, researchers, policymakers, and thinkers shaping what comes next.