London-based privacy infrastructure provider Aztec has announced that it will cease operations of its flagship product, Aztec Connect. March 21, 2024 is the last day users can access their accounts and use Aztec services.
Aztec Connect is Ethereum’s privacy layer that enables anonymous transactions on the network. It employs zero-knowledge proofs to ensure the privacy and security of transactions, while also allowing information to be selectively shared when appropriate. The service has been praised for its novel approach to anonymity and has gained a following among cryptocurrency enthusiasts.
Additionally, Aztec explained that starting March 21, 2024, Aztec will no longer run the sequencer (the system that issues blocks that process Aztec Connect transactions, contract permission). As for users of Aztec Connect, the company has advised them to withdraw any assets stored on the platform before the closing date.
Aztec revealed that the ability to deposit funds into Aztec Connect contracts using zk.money or any other front end such as zkpay.finance will be disabled for a full week from March 13, 2023. However, users will continue to log out for free for one year.
In the blog post announcing the closure, Aztec cited that they had open-sourced the Aztec Connect protocol, completed extended upgrades and a new security SDK, and encouraged their community members to fork, deploy, and operate the new version of the system, further pointing out that they are willing to fund an independent Operated by Aztec Connect.
The company also mentioned that it will focus on other products, such as Noir, a programming language. Noir can verify any EVM chain, and can use a large number of proof backends, making it an effective general-purpose programming language for zk development. They further confirmed that by the end of 2023, they want to have a fully functional Noir and native development network for their blockchain.
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Source of information: Compiled from CRYPTOTVPLUS by 0x Information, the copyright belongs to the author Gabriel Ohalete, and shall not be reproduced without permission