BREAKDOWN: FluffyPony on Encryption, Clearview and How Coronavirus Could Impact Privacy
The former lead maintainer of Monero and co-founder of Tari speaks about the state of global privacy
ABOUT
As the Coronavirus took hold in China, officials in the Hubei province tracked potential patients by examining purchase records for cough and flu medicine for the previous month.
Welcome to the new frontiers of privacy. In this wide-ranging episode, @NLW chats with former lead maintainer of Monero and Tari co-founder Riccardo Spagni - aka @FluffyPony on Twitter - about privacy in the context of:
- The recent arrest of DropBit CEO Larry Harmon surrounding bitcoin mixer technology being used for illicit purposes
- The US govt’s battle against end-to-end encryption
- Central bank digital currencies
- At home devices like Alexa and Google home
- Clearview AI and facial recognition
- China’s response to Coronavirus
- Why individual apathy is the greatest threat to privacy in the world
HOST
CoinDesk is the world leader in news, prices and information on bitcoin and other digital currencies.
We cover news and analysis on the trends, price movements, technologies, companies and people in the bitcoin and digital currency world.

EPISODES
THE MINING POD: The 2025 Hashies: Introducing Blockspace’s Annual Awards Show
For the final Mining Pod of 2025, we inaugurate The Hashies, Blockspace’s annual award show.
Dec 30, 2025
THE MINING POD:Bitcoin Mining Stocks Vibe Rankings: 2025 Year-End Edition
For today’s roundup, the Blockspace team shares their year-end 2025 rankings for bitcoin mining stocks.
Dec 26, 2025
Why 2025 Was a 'Big Year for Scam Activity
TRM Labs' Ari Redbord joins CoinDesk to discuss how 2025’s record-breaking asset recovery efforts and blockchain tran...
Dec 24, 2025
The Blockspace Pod: Our Top Stories From 2025
The Blockspace Boys count down the best and favorite Bitcoin stories of 2025, from ICE raids in Texas and Operation C...
Dec 23, 2025

The Mining Pod
Feb 10, 2025

CoinDesk Podcast Network
The top stories and best shows in the blockchain world, delivered daily from the team at CoinDesk.
Dec 20, 2023

Markets Outlook
Tune in as CoinDesk runs down action in the crypto market and some of the most important recent industry development.
Dec 19, 2023

Unchained
Unchained, your no hype resource for all things crypto by former Forbes senior editor Laura Shin, author of The Cryptopians.
Dec 18, 2023
