Aztec Network Debuts First “Fully Decentralized” Layer 2 on Ethereum

Aztec Network has launched its Ignition Chain on Ethereum mainnet, marking what the workforce calls the primary “absolutely decentralized” Layer-2 community on Ethereum.

The rollout comes days after the beginning of Aztec’s AZTEC token sale, which can energy staking, governance, and block rewards throughout the brand new system.

“Aztec simply shipped the Ignition Chain,” the team wrote in a post on X on Wednesday, including that the launch prompts the decentralized consensus layer underpinning the complete community.

Aztec’s Ignition Chain Brings Programmable Privacy to Ethereum

The debut follows the general public testnet launched in May, the place builders stress-tested the privateness infrastructure forward of mainnet deployment.

Ignition Chain introduces programmable privateness to Ethereum, aiming to unravel one of many ecosystem’s long-standing trade-offs: transparency versus confidentiality.

The community makes use of zero-knowledge proofs to allow non-public computation whereas sustaining verifiability.

According to Aztec, validator registrations reached 500 this week, the edge required for block manufacturing to start on Ethereum mainnet.

The venture’s long-term ambition is a “non-public world pc” the place builders can construct DeFi purposes that maintain consumer information confidential by default.

“2025–2035 can be Privacy’s flip of the wheel,” Aztec co-founder Zac Williamson mentioned.

A primary in Ethereum historical past:

At 1 am final night time, the milestone was hit when the validator queue reached 500, triggering block manufacturing on the Ethereum mainnet. pic.twitter.com/gWB4ZZm2qd

— Aztec (@aztecnetwork) November 19, 2025

He predicted a shift towards providers that rely on distributed ledgers for settlement and privateness tech for execution, arguing that consumer information will transfer out of centralized Web2 platforms and into cryptographic programs managed by people.

Aztec’s momentum builds on its 2022 Series B elevate, the place it secured $100 million in funding led by a16z to advance zero-knowledge analysis and infrastructure.

The community’s native AZTEC token will safe Ignition Chain by means of staking, with validators required to lock up 200,000 tokens to grow to be lively contributors.

Early curiosity within the token sale has been sturdy. Registration opened final week, drawing roughly $2.5 million throughout 2,088 bids from practically 2,000 distinctive contributors.

Public public sale bidding for the AZTEC token is scheduled to open on December 2.

Aztec Unveils StealthNote, a Zero-Knowledge Whistleblowing Platform

In April, Aztec Network introduced StealthNote, a zero-knowledge whistleblowing platform that lets workers anonymously report office considerations whereas proving they belong to a verified firm area.

The device makes use of ZK-proofs to validate Google-issued authentication tokens with out revealing the consumer’s identification, guaranteeing each belief and confidentiality.

The platform has been beneath improvement since late 2022 and has already gathered help from contributors throughout the Ethereum ecosystem, together with members of the Ethereum Foundation, StarkWare, Scroll, and researchers from Columbia and Cornell.

Early posts on the platform categorical enthusiasm for decentralized privateness instruments, reflecting broader business momentum round cryptographic protections.

With StealthNote, Aztec continues to push the boundaries of how zero-knowledge expertise can improve privateness in real-world purposes.

In 2023, a coalition of Web3 corporations established the “Universal Privacy Alliance” with the goal of safeguarding digital privateness rights.

Nym, Protocol Labs, the Filecoin Foundation, Oasis, Aztec, and numerous different entities are a part of the Universal Privacy Alliance (UPA).

The submit (*2*) appeared first on Cryptonews.