Why Ripple's CTO Emeritus Is Pitching Privacy Protocol Names to Solana's Top Contributor

Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available. Ripple CTO David Schwartz proposed a pool of names for a new privacy protocol on Solana Labs, responding to a public request from Mert Mumtaz. Schwartz's proposed list included Umbra, Solstice, Veil, Specter, Obsidian, Nyx, and Obscurant. Advertisement Answering the question in the headline, it's because of the synergy between top executives from traditionally competing blockchain communities - XRP and Solana - around the shared issue of privacy, and it is not really surprising. Two ecosystems, one goal Mert Mumtaz, CEO of Helius, has become one of the most visible advocates for privacy during the current market cycle and has actively supported the ideas behind Zcash (ZEC). Judging by his request, his focus now extends further toward building privacy-focused solutions directly within the Solana ecosystem. HOT Stories Veteran Trader Peter Brandt Calls 'Major Bottom' for SUI 3 Reasons Why Hyperliquid (HYPE) $50 Rally Failed, Bitcoin (BTC) Has No Fuel Left, Toncoin (TON) Critical Market Correction Begins: Crypto Market Review Schwartz, who serves as Ripple CTO Emeritus, openly acknowledged as far back as last year that the XRPL does not have built-in anonymity features on the level of Monero or Zcash, and smart contracts on third-party programmable platforms such as Ethereum and Solana. Advertisement Umbra, Solstice, Veil, Specter, Obisdian, Nyx, Obscurant Most of these are probably taken, but they sound cool. To me, anyway. — David 'JoelKatz' Schwartz (@JoelKatz) May 10, 2026 However, in 2025, the XRP ecosystem itself is also focused on finding technological solutions for privacy with support from RippleX and independent developers. This year became a turning point thanks to the release of long-awaited upgrades such as Confidential Tokens (MPT). Instead of the industry's usual blockchain rivalry narrative - "Solana versus XRP" - this interaction demonstrates a direct crypto industry dialogue. Developers from different camps are aligned on the main point - privacy is a critically important sector that must be developed through joint efforts regardless of the specific network. Advertisement You Might Also Like Sun, 05/10/2026 - 18:44 XRP Might Be Primed for Rapid Breakout By Alex Dovbnya Thus, the main value of this short exchange is that both networks are simultaneously building infrastructure for ZK privacy: Ripple for confidential banking and Solana for ultra-cheap and fast anonymous transactions within DeFi. The emergence of a protocol such as Umbra or Solstice on either network would merely become the marketing shell for tectonic changes that are already taking place at the code level. #XRP #Solana #Privacy Coins #Ripple News #XRP News #Solana News