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CoinDesk1 min read
Why Ripple's CTO Emeritus Is Pitching Privacy Protocol Names to Solana's Top Contributor
TL;DR
Ripple's CTO Emeritus, David Schwartz, proposed names for a new privacy protocol on Solana, responding to a request from Mert Mumtaz. The collaboration highlights a shared focus on privacy between Ripple and Solana ecosystems.
Key points
- David Schwartz proposed names for a privacy protocol on Solana.
- Names include Umbra, Solstice, Veil, and others.
- Mert Mumtaz advocates for privacy in the Solana ecosystem.
Mentioned in this story
David SchwartzMert MumtazRippleSolana Labs
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Q&A
What names did David Schwartz propose for the Solana privacy protocol?
David Schwartz proposed names including Umbra, Solstice, Veil, Specter, Obsidian, Nyx, and Obscurant for the new privacy protocol.
Why is there collaboration between Ripple and Solana on privacy solutions?
The collaboration stems from a shared interest in enhancing privacy features, with leaders from both ecosystems recognizing the importance of privacy in blockchain technology.
Who is Mert Mumtaz and what is his role in this privacy initiative?
Mert Mumtaz is the CEO of Helius and a prominent advocate for privacy in blockchain, actively supporting the development of privacy-focused solutions within the Solana ecosystem.
