Aleph Zero has announced a significant breakthrough in blockchain technology: the first EVM-compatible ZK-Privacy Layer capable of generating zero-knowledge proofs in under one second on consumer-grade devices. This development is part of Aleph Zero’s broader strategy to enhance privacy and scalability in blockchain applications. The company also unveiled zkOS, a suite of products designed to seamlessly integrate on-chain privacy into various Web3 applications.

The Aleph Zero Foundation has released the testnet for its ZK-privacy EVM Layer 2 solution, powered by Arbitrum Orbit on Gelato RaaS. This solution marks a milestone in privacy technology, being the first to achieve subsecond ZK proving times. This advancement aims to significantly improve the user experience by making on-chain privacy almost instantaneous.

Aleph Zero's long-term vision includes the development of zkOS, a client-side, chain-agnostic zero-knowledge privacy system. zkOS will offer Privacy-as-a-Service (PaaS) through seamless app integrations on WASM and EVM-compatible networks. This strategy broadens Aleph Zero’s ecosystem to include a wider range of EVM users and sets the stage for potential multichain growth.

zkOS enables users to conduct private transactions and interact with decentralized applications (dApps) without compromising their data. This system supports high-throughput applications such as privacy-preserving DeFi apps, real-world assets (RWAs), artificial intelligence (AI), and enterprise solutions, thereby expanding the reach of privacy technologies to a broader audience.

Aleph Zero's co-founder, Antoni Zolciak, emphasized the transformative potential of zkOS and the zk-privacy EVM layer, stating, “Privacy is still mostly unsolved; it's costly, complex to use and build, and its use cases lack economic incentives. With zkOS by Aleph Zero and the zk-privacy EVM layer 2, we aim to change that 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, provides developers with subsecond finality, support for 170 validator nodes, and a robust environment for building diverse applications. This Layer 1 will now also serve as the Data Availability layer for the Layer 2 EVM solution and its associated applications.

The new ZK-privacy EVM Layer 2 Developer Testnet is live, inviting builders and early adopters to explore its capabilities. Notable integration examples include Rarible, the NFT marketplace, and a yet-to-be-announced team working on innovative prediction markets. The Developer Mainnet release is slated for Q3 2024.

Aleph Zero EVM, a ZK-privacy Layer 2 rollup on Ethereum, is built in partnership with Gelato and leverages Arbitrum Anytrust DAC technology for a fast, secure, and scalable execution environment. It boasts up to 250ms block times with near-instant transaction finality, processing thousands of transactions per second, making it one of the fastest EVM chains available.

Luis Schliesske, Founder of Gelato, highlighted the advanced capabilities of Aleph Zero EVM, stating, “Aleph Zero EVM uses Arbitrum Orbits' advanced web3 scaling stack–with the most performant developer tooling–to create the most advanced privacy-enhancing blockchain infrastructure on the market. Privacy will become a major narrative in 2024 and beyond, as more mainstream use cases emerge.”

The Developer Testnet includes comprehensive developer tools from Gelato and third-party infrastructure like oracles, block explorers, and multi-sig, making it a versatile platform for developers.

Aleph Zero’s zkOS employs the Halo2 with KZG commitment scheme for speed and a universally trusted setup. Despite requiring more developer effort than alternatives like Noir or Risc0, Aleph Zero’s zkToolkit simplifies zkOS integration, ensuring high performance and ease of use across existing applications in both the Aleph Zero and Ethereum ecosystems. Initial benchmarks show zkOS zero-knowledge proofs can be executed in 600-800 milliseconds on standard devices using browsers like Safari or Chrome.

The EVM Testnet launch is a precursor to the Mainnet release scheduled for Q3 2024, enabling developers to deploy production-ready applications with optional privacy features. The zkOS MVP is expected by Q3 2024, featuring ZK identity functionalities in collaboration with idOS and private operations on arbitrary ERC-20 tokens by Q4 2024. Advanced zkOS features are anticipated for Q1 2025.

Confirmed use cases for Aleph Zero and zkOS include:

- Holyheld: Enhancing card payments with privacy technology.
- DRKVRS: Integrating privacy into a unique action RPG game.
- Rarible: Incorporating privacy features into the Rarible Marketplace.
- See3: Developing a new crypto-native ZK content standard.
- idOS: Managing personal data access for dApps.
- Pieces.market: Facilitating compliant investment in fractionalized luxury RWAs.
- Upcade.xyz: Setting new standards in web3 gaming.
- Common: Expanding its Private DeFi Suite to the EVM ecosystem via Aleph Zero.

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

About Aleph Zero

Aleph Zero is a privacy-first ecosystem of blockchain solutions designed for speed, data confidentiality, and ease of development. It supports development across WASM-based Rust and EVM-based Solidity environments, showcasing adaptability across various sectors and applications, supported by an engaged community and growing ecosystem.