gm, readers.

At Automata we work on protecting privacy and fairness. And in this newsletter, we find more reasons to talk about it. Explore headlines and catch up on the biggest crypto news in Web3 privacy.

This week:

• UK government cautiously explores digital pound launch, prioritizes user privacy

• MIM stablecoin de-pegs following Abracadabra’s $6.5M exploit

• Patreon users report receiving phishing emails

• Uma launches Oval, a solution designed to capture Oracle Extractive Value, promoting fairness in DeFi

• Secret Network’s Privacy as a Service joins Polygon Solution Provider Network, enabling EVM developers to integrate confidential computation into Polygon dApps

• Portal DeFi and Waterfall Network collaborate to facilitate private swaps between Bitcoin and other digital assets

• Aleo prepares for Mainnet launch, aiming to bring privacy to crypto

• SmartWhales integrates with Oasis Privacy Layer (OPL) for enhanced privacy on its on-chain copy-trading platform

Op-Ed:

• Surge in phishing attacks amid market recovery

Zooming into ZK:

• Scroll unveils new multi-proof system, in collaboration with Automata Network

• Nym reveals the first 3 privacy-preserving recipients of grants from the Nym Innovation Fund

• Space and Time’s Proof of SQL ZK-proof tool provides trustless verification of privacy-preserving data

• Magic integrates with zkSync for scalability

• Polygon set to launch AggLayer (Aggregated Blockchains) on the mainnet in February

• Orbiter Finance announces zk-powered ‘Orbiter Rollup’ for increased interoperability between Ethereum Layer-2s

• Axiom launches Axiom V2 on the Ethereum mainnet which utilizes zero-knowledge to enable smart contracts to compute over a broader range of data

• Immutable announces the early access launch of its Immutable zkEVM Mainnet

• API3 announces Layer-2 chain to enable dApps and users to benefit from oracle extractable value (OEV)

Conversations you missed:

• Pather and BitMart highlight challenges to privacy in DeFi

• RAILGUN discusses privacy on Leviathan News

• Secret Network and Shade Protocol explore Private DeFi

• Shade Protocol delves into privacy-preserving DeFi with Levana

• NymVPN set to launch private alpha in February

subscribe://

We dive into the details, so you don’t have to:

Space and Time introduces Blitzar, an open-source GPU accelerator for privacy-centric ZK-proof protocols, a crucial element for Ethereum Layer-2 scaling platforms. Blitzar, designed for GPUs, optimizes the computationally demanding multi-scalar multiplication in ZK-proof generation. With a focus on data privacy, Space and Time's technology ensures tamper-proof on-chain and off-chain data for dApps. Its Proof of SQL ZK-proof tool generates a SNARK cryptographic proof for trustless verification of data queries within the network.

https://twitter.com/SpaceandTimeDB/status/1750504827753271792

Oasis Foundation grants $25,000 to support SmartWhales in integrating the Oasis Privacy Layer (OPL) into its on-chain copy-trading platform, emphasizing a commitment to financial privacy in Web3. This cross-chain privacy framework extends Oasis's confidentiality features to any EVM network, empowering traders with enhanced privacy in on-chain trading tools.

Nym Technologies has unveiled the initial recipients of the Nym Innovation Fund grants, supporting three privacy-focused projects utilizing the Nym mixnet. Elsewhere, NymVPN is set for a private launch in February, combining a decentralized VPN with mixnet technology to ensure comprehensive privacy. The user-friendly application has two modes: the NymVPN 2-hop dVPN mode and the NymVPN 5-hop mixnet mode, the latter optimized for robust privacy, including resistance to traffic analysis and protection against government-level adversaries.

collect://

Connect with Automata on both X (Twitter) and Discord.

This newsletter is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional financial advice or interpreted as investment advice. Cryptocurrencies are volatile assets and you should always do your own research before making any informed decisions when investing or trading.