THORChain Integration Statement

The following statement was written by our community members.

So here we are, a seemingly insignificant moment in time in the discord server of the world’s first multi-chain DEX, deciding on what potentially could set a precedent for all of crypto moving forward. Do we stand for what crypto’s original Cypherpunks gathered and built towards, or do we exit stage left in fear of the same repercussions those original chads faced, and pushed against. If you’re thinking to yourself that’s a bit dramatic for an intro, fair enough, but that doesn’t pull it any further from the truth.

As node operators of the network, you’re tasked with voting on what moves forward, and what gets left behind. Today, you’re voting for privacy; more specifically, to decide whether THORChain & 9R will move Haven along its path to Stagenet. This decision will undoubtedly pave the way for future L1 privacy chains as well. The work is complete, the code reviewed, and the final piece to keep pushing “onward”, is your vote of confidence.

It’s fully understood by all parties involved that this could bring future repercussions to THORChain and its contributors. We all saw what happened with the events surrounding Tornado Cash, so we get that it’s at the forefront of everyone’s minds. We understand the weight of the decision, but we still feel the right one needs to be made.

The irony of those against privacy integration for fear of making certain entities angry is that THORChain has other concerns for which privacy could be the potential answer. You see, L1 privacy chains are not illegal. However, in most countries, providing yield without proper licensing from banking regulators, is. The battle that’s going to come your way is going to come in the form of entities wanting to stop the unregulated banking you’re already providing. And if that battle comes, if things get to a point of you being backed against a wall, you’re going to take solace in knowing there exists a bridge for you to cross into the comfort of privacy. That opt-in privacy will exist because of the choice you make today.

As Chad Barrford said, “THORChain is the ONLY DEX that can support privacy-focused chains like Monero and Zcash. If this project doesn’t stand with individual freedom, there is no one else that can. If a fork does occur, I would follow the community that moves toward civil rights.” While Chad didn’t mention Haven in the moment, the intent of the message was clear. To follow, THORChain’s own message to the community touched on potential node concerns and reminded everyone that it is the user who bears the liability in a TX, not the node operator. “Of course it’s the user. The wallet is a tool, the node is the relayer of data, the miner is a validator of the data.” It’s clear that the community is divided, but we believe with time that all will realize there can be no middle ground when it comes to financial freedoms.

Haven’s devs took this integration on without much help at all. Two years have been spent working on the seemingly impossible; the integration of a complex CryptoNote chain into the most complex system in all of crypto. Have we had our bumps along the way? Yes. Innovation has its costs, which is something your developers and community have learned the hard way as well. But we’re here. We’ve succeeded in doing the impossible, and as the fates would have it, it all comes down to you.

Push Haven to Stagenet. Let’s see if the work that was done is truly secure and complete, and let’s lay down the final piece to crypto’s puzzle; multichain swaps between all chains private, transparent, and all. No other integration moving forward could hold a higher importance, and bring more amplitudes of utility to THORChain’s ecosystem.

Don’t destroy my faith in crypto. Restore it.