Overview
COTI was founded in 2017 by Shahaf Bar-Geffen. It started as a payments network for merchants, with its own fast ledger, and later offered stablecoin and payment services.
In 2023–2024, COTI changed course and rebuilt itself as a privacy network for Ethereum. Its goal: let apps keep data confidential, such as balances, trades or medical records, while still running on public blockchains.
How it works
Most privacy projects use zero-knowledge proofs. COTI uses a different cryptographic technique called garbled circuits, developed with its partner Soda Labs. It lets computers work on encrypted data without seeing it. COTI says this is much faster and lighter than zero-knowledge methods, though these claims come mainly from the team.
COTI’s V2 mainnet launched in March 2025, with partners including Bancor and MyEtherWallet and an airdrop to about 15,000 wallets. Developers can build “privacy-on-demand” apps: only the sensitive parts are hidden, while the rest stays public and compatible with Ethereum tools.
COTI also launched a $25 million fund to support privacy apps on its network.
The COTI token
| COTI at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Supply (Oct 2026) | about 2.98 billion COTI |
| Price (29 Oct 2026) | about $0.0105 |
| All-time high | about $0.67 (September 2021) |
| Market cap | about $31 million |
COTI pays fees on the network and is used for staking and governance.
Risks
- Adoption. Few apps and users so far.
- Competition. Aztec, Aleo, Railgun and Zcash all compete for privacy users, with more funding or adoption.
- Changing direction. COTI has pivoted more than once, which some see as a lack of focus.
- Regulation. Privacy tools face growing scrutiny, although COTI emphasizes compliance-friendly privacy.
COTI vs. the competition
| COTI | Zcash | Aztec | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Privacy tech | Garbled circuits | Zero-knowledge proofs | Zero-knowledge proofs |
| Type | Privacy layer for Ethereum | Own blockchain | Privacy Layer 2 |
| Main use | Private apps and data | Private payments | Private apps |
Our verdict
COTI’s privacy technology is genuinely different and could matter as institutions look for confidential blockchains. But adoption is small, competition is strong, and the token has lost about 98% of its value. COTI is a very high-risk investment: invest only what you can afford to lose.
This review is for information only and is not financial advice.