Privacy-focused layer 2 network Aztec, which runs on Ethereum, has launched the Tierra Alpha V6 upgrade, fixing a critical security vulnerability and cutting the time needed to generate private transaction proofs in half.
According to information Aztec Foundation shared with The Block, the new release fixes security vulnerabilities found in previous versions, including a critical issue discovered in V5. The update also includes improvements that reduce wait times for transfers from Ethereum to Aztec.
Why couldn’t the critical vulnerability be fixed with a single intervention?
An Aztec spokesperson pointed to the network’s structure when asked why the fix had not been implemented earlier. Because there is no central operator, a single organization could not roll out the change; the entire network had to upgrade to the new version to fix the vulnerability.
Aztec has more than 3,000 validators and does not use a centralized sequencer to order transactions. The team is also making plans to roll out upgrades more quickly if similar vulnerabilities are found in the future. Tierra is adding a new AI-based system to its security testing.
Wait times for messages from Ethereum are getting shorter
In the new release, proofs that enable private transactions to be verified can be generated on a user’s own device in one second. According to Foundation data, that is half the time required in the previous version.
Messages sent from Ethereum to Aztec can now arrive in as little as 12 seconds; the average time in the previous version was two minutes. This improvement speeds up transactions between the two networks, including deposits to Aztec.
On Aztec, developers can choose which functions in their applications are private and which are public. Private functions and the generation of their proofs run on the user’s device, while public functions run on the network.
zk.money returns for private payments
The upgrade follows Aztec Labs’ relaunch of the zk.money wallet, whose first version it discontinued three years ago. The wallet, which lets users retain control of their assets, focuses on private crypto payments. Aztec Labs CEO Joe Andrews said users can deposit funds directly from any Ethereum wallet and make private transfers without dealing with complex bridging transactions.
Applications now available or in development on the network include Galactica, a privacy-focused AI service; Nemi, a perpetual futures platform; and Nulo, a browser wallet.
Not investment advice.