Aztec Labs relaunches zk.money privacy wallet on Ethereum Layer 2
Aztec Labs has revived its self-custodial zk.money wallet on Aztec Network, enabling private stablecoin payments with per-transaction limits below $2,500.
Aztec Labs has relaunched zk.money, a self-custodial privacy wallet running on Aztec Network, its Ethereum Layer 2 network, after discontinuing the original service in 2023. While user deposits and withdrawals remain publicly visible on Ethereum, transactions conducted between zk.money users conceal wallet balances, transferred amounts, and counterparties.[1][4][5][6]
According to crypto news publication Unchained, zk.money allows users to send and receive funds using human-readable tags, such as bob.zk.money, linked via the Ethereum Name Service. Accounts can receive deposits in USDC, USDT, or DAI, though the wallet holds only DAI and automatically converts incoming USDC and USDT. To manage risk, transfers are subject to strict limits: deposits, payments, and withdrawals must each remain under $2,500, and all users share a global daily deposit ceiling of $50,000. Deposits cost 35 cents, withdrawals cost 20 cents, and each user receives 100 sponsored transactions per day, with source and destination addresses screened against a sanctions policy.[2][3][5]
The wallet went live ahead of a planned fix for a critical vulnerability in Aztec's Alpha V5 proving system, which Aztec disclosed in August after contributors discovered the issue in July. That patch is scheduled for the V6 release later in 2026. In the interim, zk.money depends on a separate protocol called Oxide, using sealed enclave servers to co-sign all transfers and withdrawals. Aztec CEO Joe Andrews stated that onchain peer-to-peer transactions should not require publishing financial history to the world, adding that the original 2021 release—which attracted over 75,000 wallets and processed $100 million—was sunset because the necessary underlying infrastructure was not yet available.[4][5]
Key facts
- Aztec Labs relaunched zk.money, a self-custodial privacy wallet running on its Aztec Network Ethereum Layer 2.
- Transactions on Aztec Network conceal balances, amounts, and counterparties, while deposits and withdrawals remain public on Ethereum.
- All individual deposits, payments, and withdrawals are capped below $2,500, with a shared $50,000 daily deposit limit across all users.
- The wallet uses ENS-routed readable tags and converts incoming USDC and USDT deposits into DAI, which is the only asset it holds.
- Transactions cost 35 cents for deposits and 20 cents for withdrawals, alongside 100 sponsored daily transactions per user and sanctions policy screening.
- The release launched before a planned V6 patch for a critical flaw found in Aztec's Alpha V5 proving system, relying on the Oxide protocol to co-sign transactions.
- The original version of zk.money launched in 2021, reached over 75,000 wallets, and processed $100 million before being discontinued in 2023.
Sources · 6 sources
- CO
CoindeskArticle ·
Ethereum users get another way to pay privately as zk.money returns after three years The relaunched wallet hides payments made on the Aztec Network, while deposits from Ethereum remain visible.
Open source - LS
Laura Shin@laurashinPost on X ·
Aztec Labs relaunched zkmoney on Tuesday, a self-custodial wallet that keeps stablecoin balances, amounts and recipients off the public record. Every deposit, payment and withdrawal must stay under $2,500 for now. https://t.co/7yHRFaXOaL
Open source - DE
DecryptArticle ·
Ethereum Gets Another Privacy Boost as Aztec Brings Back zk.money Aztec Labs relaunched its self-custodial zk.money wallet on Aztec Network, letting users make private stablecoin payments using readable tags.
Open source - BS
BSCN@BSCNewsPost on X ·
Aztec Brings Private Payments Back With zk(.)money Aztec Labs has relaunched zk(.)money, a self-custodial wallet focused on private crypto payments. The wallet runs on Aztec Network (@aztecnetwork), an Ethereum Layer 2 built for privacy-focused applications. Unlike standard wallets, zk(.)money does not publicly reveal balances, payment amounts or transaction counterparties. The original wallet launched in 2021 before Aztec discontinued it while developing its Layer 2 network. Aztec says the earlier product reached more than 75,000 wallets and processed over $100 million. The relaunch comes as Ethereum increasingly focuses on making privacy a stronger part of its network.
Open source - UN
UnchainedArticle ·
Aztec Revives Its Private Payments Wallet, Capping Every Transfer Below $2,500 Aztec Labs relaunched zk.money on Tuesday, bringing back its self-custodial wallet for private stablecoin payments on Aztec Network , a layer 2 on Ethereum built for private transactions. Every deposit, payment and withdrawal must stay below $2,500 , and the wallet is live before Aztec ships a fix for a critical flaw it found in the network’s proving system this summer. A payment on Ethereum is visible to anyone who looks up either address, along with each wallet’s balance and history. A payment between two zk.money users puts no amount and no name on a public chain, according to the wallet’s documentation. “Onchain transactions between two individuals shouldn’t mean publishing your financial history to the world,” Aztec Labs CEO Joe Andrews said in a statement. Get Unchained’s crypto news in your inbox with the free Unchained Daily newsletter . Tags Instead of Addresses Each user picks a name like bob.zk.money, and ENS points that name to a deposit address. Anyone can pay that tag in USDC, USDT or DAI from an exchange or an Ethereum wallet. Deposits and withdrawals are still public on Ethereum; what happens between them is not. The wallet holds only DAI , so USDC and USDT are swapped on arrival . On top of the per-transaction cap, all users draw from one shared $50,000 daily deposit allowance. A deposit costs 35 cents, a withdrawal 20 cents, and each user gets 100 sponsored transactions a day. The Ethereum address a deposit comes from and the one a withdrawal goes to are screened against a sanctions policy. Live Before the V6 Fix Aztec disclosed on Aug. 7 that contributors had found a critical vulnerability in its Alpha V5 proving system on July 27. An attacker could get a bad transaction accepted, and the post said the flaw puts V5 funds at risk. It asked teams planning V5 deployments to pause and said the fix would come with V6 , planned for later in 2026. Andrews said zk.money would launch before that fix. The wallet relies on a separate protocol, Oxide , whose sealed servers co-sign every send and withdrawal. According to the trust model , taking funds out “needs a soundness fault in the Aztec Network and a compromised enclave at the same time.” The caps are meant to limit losses in that case. Aztec said the first version, launched in 2021, drew more than 75,000 wallets and handled $100 million. Ethereum developers are separately weighing a proposal for native private transfers in the Hegotá upgrade. “We sunset in 2023, not because private payments were a failed thesis, but because they needed infrastructure that did not yet exist,” Andrews said in an interview. Related Listen: Zcash, Ethereum, Aztec, Canton and More: Which Chain Will Win the Privacy Race? The post Aztec Revives Its Private Payments Wallet, Capping Every Transfer Below $2,500 appeared first on Unchained .
Open source - TB
The BlockArticle ·
Aztec relaunches zk.money privacy wallet on its Ethereum Layer 2 Aztec Labs has relaunched zk.money, a self-custodial privacy wallet, on Aztec Network after discontinuing the original product in 2023.
Open source