The interesting thing about life is this eternal cycle—sometimes we laugh at others, sometimes others laugh at us. This phrase, when placed in today’s fintech circle, seems particularly ironic.

Traditional financial systems are often criticized for inefficiency and privacy leaks; early blockchain projects, on the other hand, have faced criticism for excessive transparency and ignoring regulation. In this mutual deprecation, few have seriously considered: Is there a way to find a path that satisfies both sides?

Recently, I’ve come across some new developments that are quite interesting. Many projects are beginning to explore another possibility—neither pursuing absolute transparency that leaves nothing hidden nor hiding in completely anonymous black boxes, but instead finding a balance between privacy protection and compliant auditing. Dusk Network is one such explorer.

It uses cryptographic tools like zero-knowledge proofs to enable transaction data to hide sensitive information while still allowing necessary audit verification. This approach is somewhat like a graceful social interaction—no need to reveal all details, but every statement made must stand up to verification. This is especially important for bringing real-world assets onto the blockchain. Securities, bonds, and other financial assets require the efficiency advantages of blockchain, as well as the caution and standardization of traditional finance.

On the technical level, the launch of DuskEVM mainnet provides a concrete platform for this idea. Developers can now write smart contracts in Solidity, naturally gaining privacy protection. This is a significant boost for the RWA tokenization ecosystem—from digital securities to compliant DeFi, all require infrastructure that is both open and cautious.

Interestingly, the industry as a whole is gradually changing its mindset. Privacy no longer automatically equals concealment, and compliance no longer automatically means rigidity. True progress in finance has never just been about technological upgrades, but about the evolution of thinking. When blockchain learns to balance transparency and privacy, and when privacy rights and compliance needs are no longer opposed, the flow of value can truly become free.

Perhaps one day, we will stop mocking each other, and in a more composed and considerate financial ecosystem, find reasons to appreciate one another. This transition from "joke" to "admiration" is slowly unfolding.