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:

• Nym receives a grant from Zcash to integrate Nym’s mixnet with the Zcash ecosystem

• Lit Protocol launches Lit V0 for building secure Web3 applications

• Tezos launches Oxford 2 which introduces private smart rollups

• The Web3 Foundation awards a grant to the ETF Network to advance on-chain randomness, timelock encryption, and secure delayed transactions in the Polkadot ecosystem.

• PlayDapp suffers a private key leak leading to the unauthorized minting of 200 million PLA tokens

• Aptos launches a passwordless passkey authentication system to enable the signing of transactions in a more convenient way

Zooming into ZK:

• HerodotusDev and StarkWareLtd plan to launch a Cairo Verifier on Starknet

• Toposware partners with Polygon to introduce a Type 1 zkEVM prover

• Aave deploys on the Scroll mainnet

Conversations you missed:

• Mina Protocol hosts O(1) Labs to discuss the development of general-purpose ZK programs and Mina zkApps using the o1js TypeScript library

We dive into the details, so you don’t have to:

Aptos Labs introduced a passwordless passkey authentication method, enhancing user convenience and security for signing transactions. Aptos CTO Avery Ching emphasized that passkeys, designed to be as user-friendly as services like Apple Pay or Google Pay, eliminate the need for traditional passwords. Unlike other crypto projects that store private keys on external services, Aptos enables direct device storage, offering a higher level of security and convenience. The passkey authenticator, developed in-house and open-sourced for potential broader application, leverages the WebAuthn standard and public-key cryptography.

StarkWare has announced the upcoming launch of a new Cairo Verifier for the Starknet blockchain, a development set to enable Layer-3 application-based chains on Starknet within the next few weeks. This technology, created in collaboration with Herodotus, facilitates the verification of proofs directly on Layer-2 blockchains, bypassing Ethereum's mainnet and marking an advancement towards Layer-3 scalability. The Cairo Verifier aims to streamline the blockchain ecosystem by reducing the cost and latency associated with verifying proofs from Layer-3 chains on Layer-2s.

Polygon Labs, in partnership with Toposware, is set to enhance its zkEVM prover by introducing a Type 1 mode, a move that enables any EVM chain to evolve into a ZK Layer 2 (L2) network seamlessly. This upgrade enables the generation of proofs for Ethereum mainnet blocks at approximately $0.002 to $0.003 per transaction. Furthermore, Polygon anticipates a substantial decrease in transaction costs, projecting a 30 to 50-fold reduction across all chains developed with the Polygon CDK.

Connect with Automata on both X (Twitter) and Discord.

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.

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:

• Nym receives a grant from Zcash to integrate Nym’s mixnet with the Zcash ecosystem

• Lit Protocol launches Lit V0 for building secure Web3 applications

• Tezos launches Oxford 2 which introduces private smart rollups

• The Web3 Foundation awards a grant to the ETF Network to advance on-chain randomness, timelock encryption, and secure delayed transactions in the Polkadot ecosystem.

• PlayDapp suffers a private key leak leading to the unauthorized minting of 200 million PLA tokens

• Aptos launches a passwordless passkey authentication system to enable the signing of transactions in a more convenient way

Zooming into ZK:

• HerodotusDev and StarkWareLtd plan to launch a Cairo Verifier on Starknet

• Toposware partners with Polygon to introduce a Type 1 zkEVM prover

• Aave deploys on the Scroll mainnet

Conversations you missed:

• Mina Protocol hosts O(1) Labs to discuss the development of general-purpose ZK programs and Mina zkApps using the o1js TypeScript library

We dive into the details, so you don’t have to:

Aptos Labs introduced a passwordless passkey authentication method, enhancing user convenience and security for signing transactions. Aptos CTO Avery Ching emphasized that passkeys, designed to be as user-friendly as services like Apple Pay or Google Pay, eliminate the need for traditional passwords. Unlike other crypto projects that store private keys on external services, Aptos enables direct device storage, offering a higher level of security and convenience. The passkey authenticator, developed in-house and open-sourced for potential broader application, leverages the WebAuthn standard and public-key cryptography.

StarkWare has announced the upcoming launch of a new Cairo Verifier for the Starknet blockchain, a development set to enable Layer-3 application-based chains on Starknet within the next few weeks. This technology, created in collaboration with Herodotus, facilitates the verification of proofs directly on Layer-2 blockchains, bypassing Ethereum's mainnet and marking an advancement towards Layer-3 scalability. The Cairo Verifier aims to streamline the blockchain ecosystem by reducing the cost and latency associated with verifying proofs from Layer-3 chains on Layer-2s.

Polygon Labs, in partnership with Toposware, is set to enhance its zkEVM prover by introducing a Type 1 mode, a move that enables any EVM chain to evolve into a ZK Layer 2 (L2) network seamlessly. This upgrade enables the generation of proofs for Ethereum mainnet blocks at approximately $0.002 to $0.003 per transaction. Furthermore, Polygon anticipates a substantial decrease in transaction costs, projecting a 30 to 50-fold reduction across all chains developed with the Polygon CDK.

Connect with Automata on both X (Twitter) and Discord.

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.