Aztec Network launches Alpha mainnet, the first Ethereum L2 to support privacy smart contracts

The privacy chain Aztec Network, supported by a16z, officially launched Alpha Network, becoming the first Ethereum Layer 2 with a complete private smart contract execution environment, which was previously approved by a unanimous community governance vote.

Aztec integrates privacy at three levels: private data supports confidential transactions and RWA transfers; private identity allows for selective disclosure to meet compliance requirements; private computation hides on-chain behavior, opening up space for privacy DeFi and gaming applications. Contracts are written in the Rust-style language Noir, with privacy logic executed on the user side to generate zero-knowledge proofs, settling on Ethereum approximately every 12 seconds.

However, this launch comes with a significant warning, as Aztec disclosed known serious security vulnerabilities, with auditing still ongoing. The team advises users to only deposit funds they can afford to lose.