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:
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CBDC privacy concerns stifle progress, only 4 live among 167 initiatives
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Spain extends Worldcoin ban amid privacy concerns
Op-Ed:
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Unlocking privacy: ZK Proofs revolutionize EU's digital identity regulations
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Preserving privacy in crypto: Upholding a fundamental human right
Zooming into ZK:
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Matter Labs faces backlash over 'ZK' trademark attempt
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Polygon Labs acquires Toposware, boosting ZK tech investment to $1B
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StarkWare expands to Bitcoin with ZK scaling, launches $1M research fund
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Polyhedra adopts 'ZKJ' ticker amid clash with zkSync
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Mina's Mainnet upgrade paves the way for privacy applications on ZK rollups
We dive into the details, so you don’t have to:
Matter Labs, the developer of the zkSync Era blockchain, faced significant backlash from other Ethereum layer-2 teams, including Polygon and Starkware, after attempting to trademark the term "ZK," which stands for "zero-knowledge" cryptography. This move was criticized as an attempt to claim ownership over a widely-used public good, contrary to the collaborative ethos of the crypto community. Matter Labs initially defended the trademark application as a measure to protect users, but following widespread criticism and accusations of acting against Web3 values, the company withdrew its application.
https://x.com/the_matter_labs/status/1797343779189403825
Mina, a ZK-focused blockchain, recently upgraded its mainnet with a new programmability layer, unlocking privacy application potentials. Renowned for its compact zk-SNARK proofs, enabling efficient off-chain computation and decentralized proof generation, this Berkeley upgrade emphasizes decentralization and scalability enhancements developed over three years. Mina's distributed computation approach explores Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) and multi-party computation (MPC) alongside ZK technology to bolster privacy and security.
StarkWare, the developer behind Ethereum's Layer 2 Starknet, announced plans to extend its ZK scaling technology to Bitcoin, facilitated by the proposed OP_CAT upgrade. This initiative aims to scale Bitcoin to thousands of transactions per second without creating a new chain, using the existing Starknet network. StarkWare, valued at $8 billion, is launching a $1 million research fund to support Bitcoin scaling efforts and ensure the safe implementation of OP_CAT.
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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.