Aleph Zero introduces first EVM-compatible ZK-Privacy layer with sub-second proof-of-confidence times

Aleph Zero announced important developments in the ecosystem: the first EVM-compatible ZK-Privacy Layer capable of generating zero-knowledge evidence in under a second on consumer-grade devices, and zkOS, a suite of products that enables seamless integration of on-chain privacy into various Web3 applications.

Aleph Zero Foundation is excited to announce the testnet release of the ZK-privacy EVM Layer 2 assay powered by Arbitrum Orbit on Gelato RaaS. This is the first EVM-compatible privacy assay with sub-second ToM proof times and significantly improves the end-user experience by making on-chain confidentiality nearly instantaneous.

Aleph Zero also announced its long-term strategy to develop zkOS, a client-side, chain-independent zero-knowledge privacy system. zkOS aims to deliver Implicitness as a Service (PaaS) through seamless application integrations on WASM and EVM compatible networks. These initiatives open Aleph Zero’s ecosystem to a broader range of EVM users and mark the first step towards potential multi-chain growth.

With zkOS, users can perform custom processes and interact with dApps without compromising their data. This system expands the reach of privacy technologies to a wider audience by enabling high-throughput applications such as privacy-preserving DeFi applications, RWAs, artificial intelligence, and enterprise analytics.

Aleph Zero co-founder Antoni Zolciak said: “Privacy is still mostly unresolved; they are costly to use and create, they are complex, and their use cases lack economic incentives. “With Aleph Zero’s zkOS and zk-privacy EVM layer 2, we aim to change this not only in the Aleph Zero ecosystem, but also in the broader Ethereum ecosystem thanks to the flexibility of Arbitrum Orbit’s stack and our collaboration with the idOS network.”

Aleph Zero’s Substrate-based WASM Layer 1 blockchain, launched in November 2021, offers developers sub-second solidity, a base of 170 validator nodes, and more than 40 external groups developing various applications. Layer 1 will now also serve as the Information Availability layer for the L2 EVM layer, applications, and L3 application chains.

The new ZK-privacy EVM Layer 2 Developer Test Network is now live and inviting developers and early adopters. Integration examples include NFT company Rarible and a now unannounced team working on new claim markets. The developer Mainnet release is planned for release in Q3 2024.

Aleph Zero EVM, a ZK-privacy Layer 2 rollup on Ethereum, was built in partnership with Gelato, leveraging Arbitrum Anytrust DAC technology for a fast, reliable and scalable execution environment. It has block times of up to 250 ms with near-instant process absoluteness and processes thousands of processes per second, making it one of the fastest EVM chains on the market.

“Aleph Zero EVM uses Arbitrum Orbits’ advanced web3 scaling stack along with the most performant developer tools to create the most advanced privacy-enhancing blockchain infrastructure on the market,” said Luis Schliesske, Founder of Gelato. “As more widespread use cases emerge, privacy will become a valuable narrative in 2024 and beyond.

The Aleph Zero EVM Layer 2 Developer Testnet includes Gelato’s comprehensive developer tools and third-party infrastructure such as oracles, block explorers, and multi-sig, making it a versatile platform.

Aleph Zero’s zkOS uses the KZG commit scheme with Halo2 for speed and a cosmically safe environment. Although it requires more developer effort than alternatives such as Noir or Risc0, Aleph Zero’s zkToolkit simplifies zkOS integration, providing high performance and ease of use in existing applications in both the Aleph Zero and Ethereum ecosystems. Initial benchmarks show that zkOS zero-knowledge proofs can be executed in 600-800 ms on standard devices using browsers such as Safari or Chrome.

Development roadmap:

EVM Testnet was introduced today, with the Mainnet release set for Q3 2024, allowing developers to deploy production-ready applications with optional tacit features. ZkOS MVP is expected to be released in Q3 2024 with ZK identity features in collaboration with idOS and proprietary processes on arbitrary ERC-20 tokens in Q4 2024.

The advanced features of ZkOS are planned to be offered in the 1st quarter of 2025. For more details, users can visit the roadmap section at alephzero.org.

Usage examples:

Usage areas confirmed to work with Aleph Zero and zkOS are:

• Holyheld: Improving card payments with privacy technology.
• DRKVRS: Adding stealth to a unique action RPG game.
• Rarible: NFT company with Rarible Marketplace integrated with Aleph Zero.
• See3: Creating a new crypto-native ZK content standard.
• idOS: Managing personal data access for dApps.
• Pieces.market: Compatible investment in fractional luxury RWAs.
• Upcade.xyz: Setting new standards in Web3 gaming.
• Common: Extends Private DeFi Suite to EVM ecosystem via Aleph Zero.

For more information about Aleph Zero EVM and zkOS, users can visit Aleph Zero or join the community on Discord and Telegram.

About Aleph Zero:

Aleph Zero is a privacy-first ecosystem of blockchain solutions designed for speed, information closure and ease of development, supporting development in WASM-based Rust and EVM-based Solidity environments. Aleph Zero showcases its adaptability across a variety of segments and applications, supported by an engaged community and a growing ecosystem. For questions, users can contact [email protected] or [email protected].