Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed Technologies Aztec's Rebirth, The $61M Token Sale & Programmable Privacy on Ethereum
Dec 18, 2025
Joining the conversation is Zac Williamson, co-founder and CEO of Aztec, a cutting-edge layer-2 network focused on programmable privacy for Ethereum. Zac shares the bold decision to dismantle Aztec Connect, emphasizing the importance of true privacy over incremental changes. He discusses their innovative hybrid architecture, the necessity of decentralized sequencers for security, and challenges conventional wisdom about crypto development. Zac also contrasts the privacy landscape in the U.S. with growing regulatory control in Europe, framing Aztec as a crucial defense against surveillance.
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Killing The Live Product To Rebuild
- Zac describes the painful internal decision to shut down Aztec Connect to rebuild a programmable private platform from scratch.
- He recalls the discussion with a co-founder in a coffee shop where they agreed one product had to die to realize their vision.
Hybrid UTXO + Public State Model
- Aztec uses a hybrid state model: encrypted UTXO-style notes for private data and public accounts for shared protocol state.
- This enables composable private contracts while keeping protocol-level transparency where needed, like AMMs.
Abstract Crypto Complexity For Developers
- Design developer abstractions so engineers don't need deep cryptography knowledge to write private contracts.
- Provide a clear ABI, state semantics, and tooling so privacy primitives feel familiar to web3 developers.