Gas-Efficient Hashing for Privacy Flags

[Cedarich]

Status: Open (Wave 3 – performance)
Labels: Contract, Performance
Complexity: Low (150 points)

Summary
Optimize the privacy flag verification logic to use the most gas-efficient hashing algorithms available in Soroban.
Tasks

• Benchmark different hashing methods (SHA256 vs others) for small payloads.
• Refactor the privacy.rs logic to use the optimized method.
• Ensure zero regression in privacy enforcement.
  Acceptance Criteria
• Measurable reduction in gas costs for privacy-enabled transactions.

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[Themancalledpg]

@Themancalledpg has applied to work on this issue as part of the Stellar Wave Program's 3rd wave.

Hi, my name is Preciousgift, and I am a fullstack and smart contract developer skilled in React, Next.js, JavaScript, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and Soroban. For this task, I will:
Benchmark various hashing algorithms, including SHA256 and alternatives, to identify the most gas-efficient approach for small payloads in Soroban.
Refactor the privacy.rs logic to utilize the optimized hashing method without changing enforcement behavior.
Verify that privacy enforcement remains correct and no regressions are introduced in any privacy-enabled transactions.
Measure and document gas consumption before and after optimization to confirm reductions and include unit tests for verification.
ETA: 10 hours

ℹ️ Repo Maintainers: To accept this application, review their application or assign @Themancalledpg to this issue.

[EmmyKay0026]

@EmmyKay0026 has applied to work on this issue as part of the Stellar Wave Program's 3rd wave.

Hi, I’d like to take this on. Optimizing the privacy flag verification logic with more gas-efficient hashing will improve performance and reduce transaction costs without compromising privacy guarantees. I can benchmark different hashing methods and ensure there’s no regression in enforcement. Please let me know if I can proceed or if there are any guidelines to follow. Thanks!

ℹ️ Repo Maintainers: To accept this application, review their application or assign @EmmyKay0026 to this issue.

[drips-wave]

Congratulations, @EmmyKay0026! 🎉 Your application was accepted by the repo's maintainers, and the issue is due on March 30, 2026.

🧑‍💻 @EmmyKay0026: Please resolve the issue such that the repo's maintainers have enough time to review your contribution before the due date. You'll earn Points for completing the issue on-time, which will make you eligible for a share of the Stellar Wave Program's reward pool.

Warning

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