Matter Labs has sparked outrage in the crypto industry by filing trademark applications in nine countries to claim the term "zero-knowledge" (ZK) as its exclusive intellectual property. This move has been compared to a "baker trying to impose a blanket patent on bread," according to Eli Ben-Sasson, CEO of StarkWare.

The controversy centers around Matter Labs, the company behind zkSync, which previously attempted to register a token under the ticker symbol "ZK" with cryptocurrency exchanges to solidify their hold on this technological concept. Zero-knowledge technology involves cryptographic protocols that allow a prover to convince a verifier that a claim is true without revealing any details about the claim itself.

Critics, including Ben-Sasson, view Matter Labs' trademark attempt as an "absurd IP grab." He told Cointelegraph, "ZK cryptography was developed for the good of all. It’s shameful to witness an IP land grab by a company trying to expropriate 'ZK' as private intellectual property. It’s as absurd as an individual baker trying to impose a blanket patent on bread."

Industry Experts Call for Withdrawal

Top industry experts have called for the withdrawal of Matter Labs' trademark application, describing it as "oppressive behavior" in a public letter shared with Cointelegraph. The letter was signed by notable figures such as Polygon co-founders Sandeep Nailwal and Brendan Farmer, StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson, Polyhedra Network co-founder and zkBridge inventor Tiancheng Xie, and Turing Award winner and ZK-proofs co-inventor Shafi Goldwasser.

The letter asserts: "We believe that ZK is a public good that belongs to everyone. A company exploiting the legal system to annex a public good violates the crypto ethos, the Ethereum ethos, and the academic ethos. It even goes against Matter Labs’ own ethos."

Ben-Sasson emphasized that no single company should claim ZK technology as their own due to its vast potential. "ZK cryptography has massive potential for humanity — actually far beyond blockchain. We, in blockchain, are honored to be pioneering its first great use case – and hope this propels it to many other use cases."

The Future of ZK Technology

Despite being in its technological infancy, ZK-proofs are becoming increasingly important for future digital identity solutions. Dr. Jonas Gross, CEO of Hakata, highlighted their potential in Europe’s new digital identity solutions to ensure a privacy-focused approach for users. "ZKPs have the potential to start a new paradigm of compliance that breaks down data silos around identity information," Gross told Cointelegraph.

As the debate over Matter Labs' trademark application continues, the broader crypto community remains vigilant against attempts to privatize foundational technologies that many believe should remain public goods for the benefit of all.