Ethereum Launches Kohaku for Enhanced Wallet Privacy and Security
Ethereum developers have introduced Kohaku, a new roadmap to improve wallet privacy and security. The project was announced by Ethereum Foundation coordinator Nicolas Consigny. Kohaku aims to create a modular privacy framework for developers and advanced users.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin confirmed the initiative on X, stating, “Kohaku code and roadmap. Full-stack privacy and security are first-class priorities in Ethereum.” The project includes a software development kit (SDK) that lets wallets integrate privacy and security features fully or partially.
Building a Privacy-First Ecosystem
Kohaku builds on the Ethereum Foundation’s earlier work with a developer-focused browser extension based on the Ambire wallet. It targets users who value privacy when using Ethereum applications. The system will initially support the Ethereum mainnet and later expand to Layer 2 networks that are in stage one or beyond.
The roadmap introduces a plugin architecture for modular privacy. This allows developers to customize wallets and add new privacy protocols over time. In its first phase, Kohaku integrates the Helios light client. This lets users validate blockchain data locally without relying on centralized RPC providers. Consigny explained this removes “the need to trust RPC providers for validity.”
Key Technical Features
- Kohaku limits each decentralized application to one account by default.
- Users must create a new address for each dApp connection, reducing data linkage.
- The system includes a “wallet connection kit” for peer-to-peer RPC communication.
- Zero-knowledge recovery tools like “ZKemail,” “ZKpassport,” and “Anon Adhar” are introduced.
- A “Post-Quantum killswitch” uses Falcon and Dilithium verifiers to protect against quantum threats.
- Ethereum plans a zero-knowledge hardware signer compatible with privacy protocols.
- A native browser integrating IPFS-based interfaces will enhance security.
Alongside Kohaku, Ethereum launched the Privacy Cluster on October 8, 2025. This group includes 47 engineers, researchers, and cryptographers working on privacy tools at the protocol level. The cluster collaborates with the Privacy and Scaling Explorations (PSE) team to develop private payments, confidential identity systems, and zero-knowledge infrastructures on Ethereum’s Layer 1. This ensures privacy is embedded deeply into the network, beyond just wallets.
Kohaku aims to help Ethereum users keep wallets and transactions private while protecting against future threats. This makes using crypto safer and simpler.
