Ethereum developers have launched Kohaku, a new roadmap focused on strengthening wallet privacy and security across the network. Announced by Ethereum Foundation (EF) coordinator Nicolas Consigny, the project aims to create a modular privacy framework for developers and advanced users.
Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin confirmed on X that, “Kohaku code and roadmap. Full-stack privacy and security are first‑class priorities in Ethereum.” The initiative introduces a software development kit (SDK) that allows other wallets to integrate privacy and security tools “either in full or in parts that they care about.”
Building a privacy‑first ecosystem
Kohaku builds on EF’s earlier experiments with a developer‑focused browser extension forked from the Ambire wallet. It targets users who prioritize privacy while interacting with Ethereum applications. The system will first support the Ethereum mainnet, then expand to Layer 2 (L2) networks that are stage‑one or beyond.
The roadmap introduces a plugin architecture for modular privacy, letting developers customize wallets and add new privacy protocols over time. In its first phase, Kohaku integrates the Helios light client, allowing users to validate blockchain data locally without depending on centralized RPC providers. This setup removes “the need to trust RPC providers for validity,” Consigny wrote.
Key technical additions
Kohaku limits each decentralized application to one account by default. Each new dApp connection prompts users to create a new address, reducing data linkage. The system includes a “wallet connection kit” for peer‑to‑peer RPC communication and introduces zero‑knowledge recovery tools such as “ZKemail,” “ZKpassport,” and “Anon Adhar.”
Security teams have also developed a “Post‑Quantum killswitch” using Falcon and Dilithium verifiers to guard against quantum computing threats. Moreover, Ethereum plans a zero‑knowledge hardware signer compatible with existing privacy protocols and a native browser that integrates IPFS‑based interfaces for added security.
Alongside Kohaku, Ethereum launched the Privacy Cluster yesterday, bringing together 47 engineers, researchers, and cryptographers to develop privacy tools directly at the protocol level.
The cluster works with the Privacy and Scaling Explorations (PSE) team to implement private payments, confidential identity systems, and zero‑knowledge infrastructures on Ethereum’s Layer 1. This ensures that privacy is deeply embedded into the network, not just in wallets.
Kohaku is helping Ethereum users keep their wallets and transactions private while staying secure against future threats, making crypto use safer and simpler.