The Smart Economy Podcast: Real-World Blockchain Applications with Crypto, DeFi, NFTs, and DAOs

The Road to Private Smart Contracts: Aztec's Multi-Year Journey with Zac Williamson

Jan 30, 2025

Zac Williamson, CEO and co-founder of Aztec, is a blockchain innovator with a rich background in particle physics. He delves into the evolution of zero-knowledge technology and its pivotal role in enhancing blockchain privacy. Zac shares insights on the development of a novel programming language for private smart contracts and the balance of moral legitimacy in privacy tech. He also discusses Aztec's ambitious plans for 2025 and the future landscape of decentralized privacy networks, highlighting the profound implications for digital identity.

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ANECDOTE

From Skeptic to Founder

Zac Williamson's initial skepticism towards Bitcoin evolved into building on Ethereum.
Early attempts to pitch blockchain solutions to traditional finance professionals proved challenging due to their technological unfamiliarity.

INSIGHT

Privacy's Technical Hurdles

Building privacy features into blockchains is complex, demanding original research and development.
Despite early recognition of its importance, privacy was often postponed due to technical difficulty.

INSIGHT

Privacy and Dystopia

Web3 risks creating a dystopian surveillance system without privacy.
Financial privacy is crucial for personal liberty as money represents human agency and freedom.

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In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Zac Williamson, CEO and co-founder of Aztec, a startup operating in the blockchain technology space focusing on privacy.

Join them as they discuss:

How ZK technology evolved from niche to mainstream
The connection between privacy and digital identity
Creating a new programming language for privacy
Building decentralized sequencer networks
The importance of moral legitimacy in privacy tech
The evolution of Aztec's network architecture
What's next for blockchain privacy in 2025

And much more!

Zac has been a key figure in advocating for enhanced privacy within the blockchain space. Under his leadership, Aztec spearheads efforts to integrate privacy at the core of blockchain technology, aiming to address the critical balance between transparency and data protection. With a rich background that includes a stint as a software developer and as a member of Entrepreneur First’s cohort, Zac brings a unique perspective to the ongoing dialogue about privacy in Web3.

Highlights (To follow)

Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.

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