NEAR Protocol just flipped the switch from optional privacy to making it the default—Confidential by Default. Co-founder Illia Polosukhin broke the news, saying the new mode is designed to keep users’ on-chain activity private right out of the box, no extra steps needed.

What’s Changed

Now that Confidential by Default is live, all user balances, deposits, swaps, yields, and payments are hidden by default. This covers any financial moves you make in the NEAR ecosystem—so, by default, your transaction details aren’t publicly viewable anymore.

How It Works: Confidential Intents

This privacy layer is powered by something called Confidential Intents. It lets users execute actions privately, making confidentiality the standard mode across the network.

What This Means for NEAR Users

With privacy baked in from the start, NEAR users don’t have to mess with settings to protect their on-chain finances. Key operations—like checking your balance or making a transaction—are now private by default across the NEAR network.