Difference between revisions of "AZTEC Protocol"

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Aztec Network is a [[Layer Two|L2]] privacy layer on [[Ethereum (ETH)|Ethereum]].
== Basics ==
== Basics ==


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*[[Mainnet]] release: [https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/launching-aztec-2-0-rollup-ac7db8012f4b 15-3-2021]
*[[Mainnet]] release: [https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/launching-aztec-2-0-rollup-ac7db8012f4b 15-3-2021]


*AZTEC Protocol is an [[open source]] [[Zero-Knowledge Proofs|zero-knowledge]] protocol built on top of [[Ethereum]], making plug-and-play value transmission and asset governance privacy tools for developers and companies. 
*AZTEC Protocol is an [[open source]] [[Zero-Knowledge Proofs|zero-knowledge]] protocol built on top of [[Ethereum]], making plug-and-play value transmission and asset [[governance]] privacy tools for developers and companies. 
* Their CTO has contributed to two [[Open Source|open source]] projects with the aim of making cryptography cheaper on Ethereum:
* Their CTO has contributed to two [[Open Source|open source]] projects with the aim of making cryptography cheaper on Ethereum:
*#[http://email.mg2.substack.com/c/eJwlUMuOwyAM_JpyjHglGw4cdtXtb0QQnAaVQASmVfbrl7SSJT9n7PFsEO4pH3pPBUktkCfvNBPqS1FKnJaOjf1IfJmWDLAZHzTmCmSvNvjZoE_xBPRKkFVLOVrFexCLkKPioxVqcL0ZqJIz2EZzLplMdR7iDBqekI8UgQS9Iu7lIr4v_Nbs7nGttpvT1pJ5XUzBFsBza8Mt2GsIzTFGvOaUKdpTxiSXjHesu3I-XGUv-Pdt-L2pn4uk2513pdqCZn6cpCTrPxdaY88JUzxFvcvv6_DYQUd4lQCIkAl-PtP0Tm1mq9HjMUE0NoDTH8ipX_JBkLbEpUYXdWNOS1peKT_-ASYsdpo Optimisations to the evmone interpreter]
*#[http://email.mg2.substack.com/c/eJwlUMuOwyAM_JpyjHglGw4cdtXtb0QQnAaVQASmVfbrl7SSJT9n7PFsEO4pH3pPBUktkCfvNBPqS1FKnJaOjf1IfJmWDLAZHzTmCmSvNvjZoE_xBPRKkFVLOVrFexCLkKPioxVqcL0ZqJIz2EZzLplMdR7iDBqekI8UgQS9Iu7lIr4v_Nbs7nGttpvT1pJ5XUzBFsBza8Mt2GsIzTFGvOaUKdpTxiSXjHesu3I-XGUv-Pdt-L2pn4uk2513pdqCZn6cpCTrPxdaY88JUzxFvcvv6_DYQUd4lQCIkAl-PtP0Tm1mq9HjMUE0NoDTH8ipX_JBkLbEpUYXdWNOS1peKT_-ASYsdpo Optimisations to the evmone interpreter]
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== Launch ==
== Launch ==
* Have announced (9-2019) their upcoming multi-party computation set-up ceremony and opened to applications for 200 participants to take part in a global relay. The ceremony will build a ‘Reference String’, an echo of [[ZCash (ZEC)|ZCash’s]] <em>Powers of Tau </em>Ceremony, and will lead up to [[mainnet]] launch at the end of October. More details on how the ceremony works [http://sendy.tokeneconomy.co/sendy/l/BeAk0z1ILVuS6sJOlZEyOw/VdSG8923S7634ly96dSx3MvJzg/CfIj892MKv763pUEHUjdvOVdww here]. 
* Have announced (9-2019) their upcoming multi-party computation set-up ceremony and opened to applications for 200 participants to take part in a global [[relay]]. The ceremony will build a ‘Reference String’, an echo of [[ZCash (ZEC)|ZCash’s]] <em>Powers of Tau </em>Ceremony, and will lead up to [[mainnet]] launch at the end of October. More details on how the ceremony works [http://sendy.tokeneconomy.co/sendy/l/BeAk0z1ILVuS6sJOlZEyOw/VdSG8923S7634ly96dSx3MvJzg/CfIj892MKv763pUEHUjdvOVdww here]. 
* [[Vitalik]] [https://twitter.com/VitalikButerin/status/1174632632329441280 announced] his participation in the Ignition ceremony, using his own implementation of the MPC.
* [[Vitalik]] [https://twitter.com/VitalikButerin/status/1174632632329441280 announced] his participation in the Ignition ceremony, using his own implementation of the MPC.


* AZTEC has completed Ignition, the biggest MPC ceremony in history by number of participants. From [https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/aztec-crs-the-biggest-mpc-setup-in-history-has-successfully-finished-74c6909cd0c4 their blog] (7-1-2020):
* AZTEC has completed Ignition, the biggest MPC ceremony in history by number of participants. From [https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/aztec-crs-the-biggest-mpc-setup-in-history-has-successfully-finished-74c6909cd0c4 their blog] (7-1-2020):
''"600 sign-ups, 202 participants ran the software — of which 176 were valid, 30 participants stayed incognito. Most participants came from London''
''"600 sign-ups, 202 participants ran the software — of which 176 were valid, 30 participants stayed [[incognito]]. Most participants came from London''


''Confidential [[transactions]] on Ethereum are launching this month!''
''Confidential [[transactions]] on Ethereum are launching this month!''
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== zkTokens ==
== zkTokens ==
* Does not have a [[token]] itself, but releases [[Zk-SNARK's|zk]] Tokens. The first of which [https://medium.com/@tompocock/launching-aztec-c9fb271605d7 at the launch] (1-2-2020) was [https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/the-first-10-000-zkdai-d499a133b8a0 zkDai]. ''"Over the coming six weeks we’ll release other zk Tokens onto the network, and in two months’ time we will remove restrictions so you can make completely private custom assets from scratch."''
* Does not have a [[token]] itself, but releases [[Zk-SNARK's|zk]] [[Tokens]]. The first of which [https://medium.com/@tompocock/launching-aztec-c9fb271605d7 at the launch] (1-2-2020) was [https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/the-first-10-000-zkdai-d499a133b8a0 zkDai]. ''"Over the coming six weeks we’ll release other zk Tokens onto the network, and in two months’ time we will remove restrictions so you can make completely private custom assets from scratch."''
* From [https://www.trustnodes.com/2020/02/10/vitalik-buterin-takes-part-in-the-aztec-ceremony-of-zcash-and-monero-like-smart-contract-launch this article] by [[TrustNodes]] (10-2-2020):
* From [https://www.trustnodes.com/2020/02/10/vitalik-buterin-takes-part-in-the-aztec-ceremony-of-zcash-and-monero-like-smart-contract-launch this article] by [[TrustNodes]] (10-2-2020):
''"You need to deposit [[dai]] through the ZkDai (zkassetdetailed) contract, through a zero knowledge proof.” Aztec turns dai into what can be described as a smart contract database asset. You send the dai to Aztec, and you get zkdai which gives you a claim to the dai.''
''"You need to deposit [[dai]] through the ZkDai (zkassetdetailed) contract, through a zero knowledge proof.” Aztec turns dai into what can be described as a smart contract database asset. You send the dai to Aztec, and you get zkdai which gives you a claim to the dai.''
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== Tech ==
== Tech ==
* From their [https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/aztec-is-going-open-source-71570db473e6 blog] (10-6-2021):
*[[Whitepaper]] can be found [insert here].
 
*Code can be viewed [insert here]. From their [https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/aztec-is-going-open-source-71570db473e6 blog] (10-6-2021): ''"Aztec initially realeased some of its prover code under the [https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/introducing-polaris-d4eb0c9da1b4 Polaris license] jointly created with [[StarkWare]]. Today we announce that all future releases of code from Aztec will be under the [open source] Apache 2.0 license."''
''"Aztec initially realeased some of its prover code under the [https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/introducing-polaris-d4eb0c9da1b4 Polaris license] jointly created with [[StarkWare]]. Today we announce that all future releases of code from Aztec will be under the [open source] Apache 2.0 license."''
*Built on: [[Layer Two|L2]] on [[Ethereum (ETH)|Ethereum]]
 
*Programming language used: [[Solidity]]
===Transaction Details===
*Capacity ([[TPS]]):
*[[Latency]]:
===How it works===
*From their own [https://medium.com/@tompocock/launching-aztec-c9fb271605d7 launch blog] (1-2-2020):
*From their own [https://medium.com/@tompocock/launching-aztec-c9fb271605d7 launch blog] (1-2-2020):


''"Aztec has deployed the two core components of its technology today:''
''"Aztec has deployed the two core components of its technology today:''
# ''[https://github.com/AztecProtocol/specification Aztec Crypto Engine (ACE)] — our [[smart contract]] validator on Ethereum mainnet, checking the correctness of every private [[transaction]]''
# ''[https://github.com/AztecProtocol/specification Aztec Crypto Engine (ACE)] — our [[smart contract]] [[validator]] on Ethereum mainnet, checking the correctness of every private [[transaction]]''
# ''[https://docs.aztecprotocol.com/#/SDK/Getting%20started Privacy SDK] — abstracts away the complexities of Aztec’s cryptography, so developers can integrate privacy into their [[dapps]] with ease"''
# ''[https://docs.aztecprotocol.com/#/SDK/Getting%20started Privacy SDK] — abstracts away the complexities of Aztec’s cryptography, so developers can integrate privacy into their [[dapps]] with ease"''
=== Fees ===


=== Upgrades ===
=== Upgrades ===
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*[https://decrypt.co/88450/ethereum-privacy-provider-aztec-raises-17m-adds-bridges-developers?utm_source=telegram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=smt From] [[Decrypt (DCPT)|Decrypt]] (16-12-2021):
*[https://decrypt.co/88450/ethereum-privacy-provider-aztec-raises-17m-adds-bridges-developers?utm_source=telegram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=smt From] [[Decrypt (DCPT)|Decrypt]] (16-12-2021):


''"Aztec announced it is unrolling a set of tools, dubbed Aztec Connect, to let developers add its privacy feature to a wide variety of protocols by using a software bridge. "It allows users to confidentially access world-class [[Decentralized Finance (DeFi)|DeFi]] services on [[Ethereum (ETH)|Ethereum]] with up to 100x cost savings, all while strengthening Aztec’s existing [https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/infinite-privacy-new-anonymity-paradigms-with-aztec-network-1b02e84bbce2 privacy guarantees]. At launch, Aztec Connect extends the capabilities of zk.money, adding [[Whitelist|whitelisted]] functionality from select blue-chip DeFi partners," said the company in a blog post."''
''"Aztec announced it is unrolling a set of tools, dubbed Aztec Connect, to let developers add its privacy feature to a wide variety of protocols by using a software [[bridge]]. "It allows users to confidentially access world-class [[Decentralized Finance (DeFi)|DeFi]] services on [[Ethereum (ETH)|Ethereum]] with up to 100x cost savings, all while strengthening Aztec’s existing [https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/infinite-privacy-new-anonymity-paradigms-with-aztec-network-1b02e84bbce2 privacy guarantees]. At launch, Aztec Connect extends the capabilities of zk.money, adding [[Whitelist|whitelisted]] functionality from select blue-chip [[Defi|DeFi]] partners," said the company in a blog post."''


*Aztec 2.0 [https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/aztec-zkrollup-layer-2-privacy-1978e90ee3b6 went live] (12-10-2020):
*Aztec 2.0 [https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/aztec-zkrollup-layer-2-privacy-1978e90ee3b6 went live] (12-10-2020):
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''"[[bitcoiners]] would argue that because you can’t validate yourself, you can’t be sure zkdai or [[zcash]] has not been printed out of thin air.''
''"[[bitcoiners]] would argue that because you can’t validate yourself, you can’t be sure zkdai or [[zcash]] has not been printed out of thin air.''


''“That’s not actually true — the point of a parity check is to prove that each [[transaction]] has a net zero effect on supply,” says Tom Walton-Pocock, after further adding: “I think I’d return with the question ‘under what conditions can the parity check over Aztec’s encrypted balances fail?’."''
''“That’s not actually true — the point of a [[parity]] check is to prove that each [[transaction]] has a net zero effect on supply,” says Tom Walton-Pocock, after further adding: “I think I’d return with the question ‘under what conditions can the parity check over Aztec’s encrypted balances fail?’."''


=== Zk-Zk Rollup ===
=== Zk-Zk Rollup ===
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''Here are the benchmarks we’d like (in a perfect world):''
''Here are the benchmarks we’d like (in a perfect world):''
# ''~1s proof construction times on smartphones''
# ''~1s proof construction times on smartphones''
# ''~10s proof construction times for rollups (server-side)''
# ''~10s proof construction times for [[rollups]] (server-side)''
# ''~1,000tps on [[mainnet]]''
# ''~1,000tps on [[mainnet]]''
# ''3 layer recursion — proofs of proofs of proofs"''
# ''3 layer recursion — proofs of proofs of proofs"''
===Interoperability===
* [https://ournetwork.substack.com/p/ournetwork-issue-118?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMzk3OTAwLCJwb3N0X2lkIjo1MjY3MDkwNiwiXyI6InE4L1VrIiwiaWF0IjoxNjUzMDQyNzc0LCJleHAiOjE2NTMwNDYzNzQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0yMTM2MiIsInN1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.UE2XSsIgrPortaxRKTLEqwnrGp0my9DJJ10ffQfVPOU&s=r From] [[Our Network]] (23-4-2022):
"''In the next month, the team will launch [https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/private-defi-with-the-aztec-connect-bridge-76c3da76d982 Aztec Connect], the first private bridge to Ethereum [[Decentralized Finance (DeFi)|DeFi]], unlocking privacy and scale for leading DeFi projects like [[Element Finance (ELFI)|Element]] and [[Lido (LDO)|Lido]]."''


===Other Details===
==Oracle Method==
==Oracle Method==


==Privacy Method==
==Privacy Method==


* [https://newsletter.banklesshq.com/p/how-to-send-private-payments-on-ethereum?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMzk3OTAwLCJwb3N0X2lkIjozNTE1NzE1MSwiXyI6IkNDcGZjIiwiaWF0IjoxNjE4ODg2MDQ1LCJleHAiOjE2MTg4ODk2NDUsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNjAxNSIsInN1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.mLoVi From] [[Bankless]] (15-4-2021):
* [https://ournetwork.substack.com/p/ournetwork-issue-118?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMzk3OTAwLCJwb3N0X2lkIjo1MjY3MDkwNiwiXyI6InE4L1VrIiwiaWF0IjoxNjUzMDQyNzc0LCJleHAiOjE2NTMwNDYzNzQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0yMTM2MiIsInN1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.UE2XSsIgrPortaxRKTLEqwnrGp0my9DJJ10ffQfVPOU&s=r From] [[Our Network]] (23-4-2022):
''"Aztec's privacy-first zkRollup has also amassed a significant anonymity set, with the 0.1 [[Ethereum (ETH)|ETH]] deposit set ~60% of the size of [[Tornado Cash (TORN)|Tornado Cash]]'s for the same deposit amount."''
*[https://newsletter.banklesshq.com/p/how-to-send-private-payments-on-ethereum?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMzk3OTAwLCJwb3N0X2lkIjozNTE1NzE1MSwiXyI6IkNDcGZjIiwiaWF0IjoxNjE4ODg2MDQ1LCJleHAiOjE2MTg4ODk2NDUsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNjAxNSIsInN1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.mLoVi From] [[Bankless]] (15-4-2021):


''"Beyond private [[Ethereum]] [[transactions]] on the platform, which help users protect their privacy and save on [[gas]] costs, Aztec can be used as your anonymous [[DeFi]] [[wallet]]. In other words, it can be used to wash and anonymize your funds if you’re ever trying to fund a new [[address]].''
''"Beyond private [[Ethereum]] [[transactions]] on the platform, which help users protect their privacy and save on [[gas]] costs, Aztec can be used as your anonymous [[DeFi]] [[wallet]]. In other words, it can be used to wash and anonymize your funds if you’re ever trying to fund a new [[address]].''
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''When sending zkETH from [http://zk.money/ zk.money] to a regular Ethereum address, the recipient will receive regular, "unshielded" ETH directly to the wallet. The trick here is that [[Etherscan]] will show the funds were sent from the 'Aztec [[Contract]]' and not the sender's address.''
''When sending zkETH from [http://zk.money/ zk.money] to a regular Ethereum address, the recipient will receive regular, "unshielded" ETH directly to the wallet. The trick here is that [[Etherscan]] will show the funds were sent from the 'Aztec [[Contract]]' and not the sender's address.''


''By using Aztec, you could fund new DeFi wallets without worrying someone may track your trail of breadcrumbs. Better yet, you could use zk.money to protect your funds!"''
''By using Aztec, you could fund new DeFi [[wallets]] without worrying someone may track your trail of breadcrumbs. Better yet, you could use zk.money to protect your funds!"''


==Compliance==
==Compliance==
==Their Other Projects==
==Their Other Projects==
=== Aztec Connect ===
* [https://ournetwork.substack.com/p/ournetwork-issue-118?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMzk3OTAwLCJwb3N0X2lkIjo1MjY3MDkwNiwiXyI6InE4L1VrIiwiaWF0IjoxNjUzMDQyNzc0LCJleHAiOjE2NTMwNDYzNzQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0yMTM2MiIsInN1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.UE2XSsIgrPortaxRKTLEqwnrGp0my9DJJ10ffQfVPOU&s=r From] [[Our Network]] (23-4-2022):
"''In the next month, the team will launch [https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/private-defi-with-the-aztec-connect-bridge-76c3da76d982 Aztec Connect], the first private bridge to Ethereum [[Decentralized Finance (DeFi)|DeFi]], unlocking privacy and scale for leading DeFi projects like [[Element Finance (ELFI)|Element]] and [[Lido (LDO)|Lido]]. Meanwhile, Aztec has crossed 4,200 shielded ETH in the system, with over $15m total [[Total Value Locked (TVL)|TVL]]."''
== Roadmap ==
== Roadmap ==
* From their [https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/aztec-fast-privacy-with-zk%C2%B2-rollup-7c742f45457 blog] (27-3-2020):
* From their [https://medium.com/aztec-protocol/aztec-fast-privacy-with-zk%C2%B2-rollup-7c742f45457 blog] (27-3-2020):
''"Our privacy roadmap is as follows:''
''"Our privacy [[roadmap]] is as follows:''
# ''✅ Balance privacy — hiding transaction amounts''
# ''✅ [[Balance]] privacy — hiding transaction amounts''
# ''⌛ User privacy (coming soon) — hiding ‘spender’ and ‘receiver’ info''
# ''⌛ User privacy (coming soon) — hiding ‘spender’ and ‘receiver’ info''
# ''✘ Code privacy — hiding asset/code being spent/run"''
# ''✘ Code privacy — hiding asset/code being spent/run"''


== Usage ==
== Usage ==
* [[JP Morgan|JPMorgan]]'s blockchain team [https://www.coindesk.com/jp-morgan-is-quietly-testing-cutting-edge-ethereum-privacy-tech trialed] Aztec during a series of ZKP tests in February 2018.
* [https://ournetwork.substack.com/p/ournetwork-issue-118?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMzk3OTAwLCJwb3N0X2lkIjo1MjY3MDkwNiwiXyI6InE4L1VrIiwiaWF0IjoxNjUzMDQyNzc0LCJleHAiOjE2NTMwNDYzNzQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0yMTM2MiIsInN1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.UE2XSsIgrPortaxRKTLEqwnrGp0my9DJJ10ffQfVPOU&s=r From] [[Our Network]] (23-4-2022):
''"Aztec's first-party private payments app, zk.money, is nearing $100m in all-time deposits and 60k registered users, with steady growth since launch."''
*[[JP Morgan|JPMorgan]]'s blockchain team [https://www.coindesk.com/jp-morgan-is-quietly-testing-cutting-edge-ethereum-privacy-tech trialed] Aztec during a series of ZKP tests in February 2018.


=== Projects that use or built on it ===
=== Projects that use or built on it ===
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* [[ConsenSys]] [https://www.coindesk.com/consensys-backs-2-1-million-funding-round-for-ethereum-privacy-startup led] a $2.1 million funding round for Aztec in November 2019.  
* [[ConsenSys]] [https://www.coindesk.com/consensys-backs-2-1-million-funding-round-for-ethereum-privacy-startup led] a $2.1 million funding round for Aztec in November 2019.  
* On their [https://www.aztecprotocol.com/ website] (11-2-2020):
* On their [https://www.aztecprotocol.com/ website] (11-2-2020):
Consensys, [[a_capital]], [[Coinbase (Company)|Coinbase]], [[Mov37]], [[Samos Investments]] and [[ef.]]
[[Consensys]], [[a_capital]], [[Coinbase (Company)|Coinbase]], [[Mov37]], [[Samos Investments]] and [[ef.]]


* From [https://www.trustnodes.com/2020/02/10/vitalik-buterin-takes-part-in-the-aztec-ceremony-of-zcash-and-monero-like-smart-contract-launch this article] by [[TrustNodes]] (10-2-2020):
* From [https://www.trustnodes.com/2020/02/10/vitalik-buterin-takes-part-in-the-aztec-ceremony-of-zcash-and-monero-like-smart-contract-launch this article] by [[TrustNodes]] (10-2-2020):
Line 154: Line 179:
*Worked together with [[StarkWare]]. From their [https://medium.com/starkware/the-polaris-prover-license-aba912de9ea4 blog] (29-1-2021):
*Worked together with [[StarkWare]]. From their [https://medium.com/starkware/the-polaris-prover-license-aba912de9ea4 blog] (29-1-2021):


''"[https://starkware.co/starkware-polaris-prover-license/ Polaris license] under which StarkWare plans to release source code for its STARK prover; Aztec will use the same Polaris license for its [[PLONK]] provers (see their [https://medium.com/p/d4eb0c9da1b4/ post])."''
''"[https://starkware.co/starkware-polaris-prover-license/ Polaris license] under which StarkWare plans to release source code for its [[STARK]] prover; Aztec will use the same Polaris license for its [[PLONK]] provers (see their [https://medium.com/p/d4eb0c9da1b4/ post])."''


* Has [https://minaprotocol.com/blog/meet-pickles-snark-enabling-smart-contracts-on-coda-protocol contributed] to Pickles (for snarks) on [[Mina (MINA)|Mina]] (19-8-202).
* Has [https://minaprotocol.com/blog/meet-pickles-snark-enabling-smart-contracts-on-coda-protocol contributed] to Pickles (for snarks) on [[Mina (MINA)|Mina]] (19-8-202).

Revision as of 03:21, 30 May 2022

Aztec Network is a L2 privacy layer on Ethereum.

Basics

Launch

  • Have announced (9-2019) their upcoming multi-party computation set-up ceremony and opened to applications for 200 participants to take part in a global relay. The ceremony will build a ‘Reference String’, an echo of ZCash’s Powers of Tau Ceremony, and will lead up to mainnet launch at the end of October. More details on how the ceremony works here
  • Vitalik announced his participation in the Ignition ceremony, using his own implementation of the MPC.
  • AZTEC has completed Ignition, the biggest MPC ceremony in history by number of participants. From their blog (7-1-2020):

"600 sign-ups, 202 participants ran the software — of which 176 were valid, 30 participants stayed incognito. Most participants came from London

Confidential transactions on Ethereum are launching this month!

2 audits completed (Trail of Bits & ConsenSys Diligence), Ceremony finished, Codex computation finished this week → Deploy to Mainnet January 2020"

"we’re doing final deploy tests for our mainnet protocol, preparing for our launch later this year."

Audits & Exploits

Bugs/Exploits

"Aztec $50k bug bounty for double-spend vulnerability, emulating non-native field operations."

Governance

Admin Keys

DAO

Treasury

zkTokens

  • Does not have a token itself, but releases zk Tokens. The first of which at the launch (1-2-2020) was zkDai. "Over the coming six weeks we’ll release other zk Tokens onto the network, and in two months’ time we will remove restrictions so you can make completely private custom assets from scratch."
  • From this article by TrustNodes (10-2-2020):

"You need to deposit dai through the ZkDai (zkassetdetailed) contract, through a zero knowledge proof.” Aztec turns dai into what can be described as a smart contract database asset. You send the dai to Aztec, and you get zkdai which gives you a claim to the dai.

You can transfer this zkdai within the smart contract environment, but the blockchain won’t know until you convert it into dai. In the meantime you’re exchanging value in a very private manner. End users can’t quite play yet with Aztec because an app is not out, but devs can incorporate it through a tutorial of sorts."

Tech

  • Whitepaper can be found [insert here].
  • Code can be viewed [insert here]. From their blog (10-6-2021): "Aztec initially realeased some of its prover code under the Polaris license jointly created with StarkWare. Today we announce that all future releases of code from Aztec will be under the [open source] Apache 2.0 license."
  • Built on: L2 on Ethereum
  • Programming language used: Solidity

Transaction Details

How it works

"Aztec has deployed the two core components of its technology today:

  1. Aztec Crypto Engine (ACE) — our smart contract validator on Ethereum mainnet, checking the correctness of every private transaction
  2. Privacy SDK — abstracts away the complexities of Aztec’s cryptography, so developers can integrate privacy into their dapps with ease"

Fees

Upgrades

"Aztec announced it is unrolling a set of tools, dubbed Aztec Connect, to let developers add its privacy feature to a wide variety of protocols by using a software bridge. "It allows users to confidentially access world-class DeFi services on Ethereum with up to 100x cost savings, all while strengthening Aztec’s existing privacy guarantees. At launch, Aztec Connect extends the capabilities of zk.money, adding whitelisted functionality from select blue-chip DeFi partners," said the company in a blog post."

  1. "zkRollup based Layer 2 network, live on Ropsten
  2. Private sends by default — shield and send your ERC-20s privately
  3. 200x gas reduction compared to Aztec 1.0
  4. Secure by design: all transactions are validated on-chain
  5. Programmable Privacy with Noir — The private contract language"

Validation

"bitcoiners would argue that because you can’t validate yourself, you can’t be sure zkdai or zcash has not been printed out of thin air.

“That’s not actually true — the point of a parity check is to prove that each transaction has a net zero effect on supply,” says Tom Walton-Pocock, after further adding: “I think I’d return with the question ‘under what conditions can the parity check over Aztec’s encrypted balances fail?’."

Zk-Zk Rollup

  • Is putting Zk's inside Zk's (24-4-2020):

"With this code, we can efficiently verify a SNARK inside another SNARK.

In ZK² Rollup, the spender makes a private transaction on their own device, keeping their data secret — this is a ‘proof computation’.

Instead of sending straight to Ethereum (too expensive), they send to a ‘rollup provider’, which aggregates 1,000s of transactions into a ‘rollup proof’. This collapses the gas cost on Ethereum, and makes our payments network scale.

Here are the benchmarks we’d like (in a perfect world):

  1. ~1s proof construction times on smartphones
  2. ~10s proof construction times for rollups (server-side)
  3. ~1,000tps on mainnet
  4. 3 layer recursion — proofs of proofs of proofs"

Interoperability

"In the next month, the team will launch Aztec Connect, the first private bridge to Ethereum DeFi, unlocking privacy and scale for leading DeFi projects like Element and Lido."

Other Details

Oracle Method

Privacy Method

"Aztec's privacy-first zkRollup has also amassed a significant anonymity set, with the 0.1 ETH deposit set ~60% of the size of Tornado Cash's for the same deposit amount."

"Beyond private Ethereum transactions on the platform, which help users protect their privacy and save on gas costs, Aztec can be used as your anonymous DeFi wallet. In other words, it can be used to wash and anonymize your funds if you’re ever trying to fund a new address.

When sending zkETH from zk.money to a regular Ethereum address, the recipient will receive regular, "unshielded" ETH directly to the wallet. The trick here is that Etherscan will show the funds were sent from the 'Aztec Contract' and not the sender's address.

By using Aztec, you could fund new DeFi wallets without worrying someone may track your trail of breadcrumbs. Better yet, you could use zk.money to protect your funds!"

Compliance

Their Other Projects

Aztec Connect

"In the next month, the team will launch Aztec Connect, the first private bridge to Ethereum DeFi, unlocking privacy and scale for leading DeFi projects like Element and Lido. Meanwhile, Aztec has crossed 4,200 shielded ETH in the system, with over $15m total TVL."

Roadmap

  • From their blog (27-3-2020):

"Our privacy roadmap is as follows:

  1. ✅ Balance privacy — hiding transaction amounts
  2. ⌛ User privacy (coming soon) — hiding ‘spender’ and ‘receiver’ info
  3. ✘ Code privacy — hiding asset/code being spent/run"

Usage

"Aztec's first-party private payments app, zk.money, is nearing $100m in all-time deposits and 60k registered users, with steady growth since launch."

  • JPMorgan's blockchain team trialed Aztec during a series of ZKP tests in February 2018.

Projects that use or built on it

Competition

Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

Team, Funding, Partners, etc.

Funding

  • ConsenSys led a $2.1 million funding round for Aztec in November 2019.
  • On their website (11-2-2020):

Consensys, a_capital, Coinbase, Mov37, Samos Investments and ef.

"So how are they going to make money?

“On value capture we’re not passing detailed comment on that now (not least because the blockchain and zero-knowledge landscape is changing at a breathless pace at the moment). We will lay out our model publicly at a later date,” Walton-Pocock says."

"Raised $17 million. Crypto investment giant Paradigm led the latest funding round for Aztec, while other investors included Ethereal Ventures and Vitalk Buterin himself."

Partners

"Polaris license under which StarkWare plans to release source code for its STARK prover; Aztec will use the same Polaris license for its PLONK provers (see their post)."