A new invention launched in December 2017 is already generating interest in the crypto community. The invention is called \'Bulletproofs,\' and was dreamed up by a group led by Jonathan Bootle of University College London and Benedikt Buenz of UC Stanford. Major blockchain developers were quick to adopt the new system, which comprises a privacy code initially created for use with bitcoin, though not yet officially implemented. The success of bulletproofs has the idea already being adapted for other altcoins, including mimblewimble and monero, while litecoin may soon follow suit.

Part of the appeal of a public blockchain lies in its transparency, which is helpful if more regulated financial markets are desired, but this isn\'t always the case. The whole point of the decentralised ledger is that some users want their transactions to remain private, or where there needs to be some degree of confidentiality between business partners.

Bulletproofs is garnering interest because it apparently supplies easily executable code for blockchains, together with a powerful privacy booster and a reduction in excess computation. It doesn\'t obscure the whole blockchain, but only conceals the amounts involved within any given transaction. While the addresses of the sending and receiving parties remain visible, the transaction sum isn\'t.

While still in the early stages, Bulletproofs offers a degree of anonymity which many may welcome.