Title: Private Reads / RPC Privacy · RFP · EthSystems

URL Source: https://original.es-internal.pages.dev/rfps/rfp-private-reads/

Markdown Content:
---
description: Most institutional privacy discussions focus on transaction privacy (hiding sender, receiver, amount). But institutions leak sensitive information before ever posting a transaction: RPC queries reveal portfolio positions, trading intent, counterparty relationships, and risk exposures. An observer monitoring RPC traffic can infer strategy without seeing any on-chain activity.
title: Private Reads / RPC Privacy · RFP · EthSystems
image: https://original.es-internal.pages.dev/og.png
---

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# RFP: Private Reads / RPC Privacy

## Why It Matters

* Metadata leakage is the "silent killer" of institutional privacy
* Query patterns can reveal more than transaction data (positions, limits, counterparties)
* Institutions often have strict internal rules about data access trails
* Aligns with PSE roadmap emphasis on "private reads" (ORAM/PIR research)

## Scope

### In-Scope

* Design space analysis for private read approaches:
  * ORAM (Oblivious RAM) for state access
  * PIR (Private Information Retrieval) for queries
  * TEE-based private RPC (with explicit trust analysis)
  * Mixnet/anonymization layers
* Benchmark harness for institutional query patterns:
  * Portfolio valuation (read-heavy, multiple token balances)
  * Eligibility checks (KYC gating, accreditation status)
  * Risk checks (position limits, concentration)
* "What leaks where" analysis:
  * IP address correlation
  * Timing analysis
  * Query volume patterns
  * Address clustering risks
* Minimal prototype for at least one approach

### Out-of-Scope

* Full production implementation
* Network-level anonymity (Tor, mixnets) — mention but don't build
* Transaction privacy (covered by other patterns)

## Deliverables

* Design space document comparing ORAM/PIR/TEE approaches
* "What leaks where" threat model for institutional RPC usage
* Benchmark harness for private read latency/throughput
* Minimal prototype (ORAM proxy or TEE-based RPC)
* Recommendations for institutional deployment

## Dependencies

**Requires:**

* PSE ORAM/PIR research context
* Understanding of institutional query patterns

**Enables:**

* Complete privacy story (reads + writes)
* Input to custody and compliance workflows
* Foundation for "private RPC" infrastructure

## See Also

* [PSE Roadmap: Private Reads](https://ethereum-magicians.org/t/pse-roadmap-2025-and-beyond/25423)
* [Pattern: Private Transaction Broadcasting](/patterns/pattern-private-transaction-broadcasting/)
* [Pattern: TEE-Based Privacy](/patterns/pattern-tee-based-privacy/)

#### Referenced by

use cases1
* [Private Read](/use-cases/private-read/)
building blocks2
* [Network-Level Anonymity](/patterns/pattern-network-anonymity/)
* [TEE-Assisted Network Anonymity](/patterns/pattern-tee-network-anonymity/)

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