gm, readers.

At Automata we work on protecting privacy and fairness. And in this newsletter, we find more reasons to talk about it. Explore headlines and catch up on the biggest crypto news in Web3 privacy.

This Week:

• Automata’s TEE-builder is now open source

• Wallet-as-as-Service provider Particle Network introduces V2 with increased user privacy

• Silent Protocol adds liquid staking protocol Lybra Finance to its ecosystem

• Mina Protocol integrates with MetaMask Snaps via MinaPortal, bringing privacy to Web3 users

• Private, MEV-free multichain DEX illumineX receives Oasis grant

• Vitalik and 4 others propose a novel smart contract-based privacy-enhancing protocol in a research paper

• Casa Wallet offers users more privacy with new Ethereum wallet relay

• Upcoming Layer-1 Namada announces impending launch with focus on multichain privacy

Zooming into ZK:

• Manta Network’s Layer-2, Pacific Alpha Mainnet goes live

• Safe’s modular smart accounts infrastructure is live on zkSync Era

• ZK-powered DEX Brine Fi raises $16.5M in a round led by Pantera Capital

• The entire Starknet core stack is now open-source

Op-Ed Feature:

• Rekt News publishes a commentary on Vitalik’s privacy pools protocol

Podcasts you missed:

• Matt Zahab of CryptoNews interviews Iron Fish CEO Elena Nadolinski about Mainnet launch, ZK tech, and privacy in Web3

• David Hoffman of Bankless discusses onchain future with Jesse Pollak of Base/Coinbase and Ben Jones of Optimism in Permissionless II

We dive into the details, so you don’t have to:

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, Jacob Illum from Chainalysis, Ameen Soleimani, Matthias Nadler, and Fabian Schär worked together to release a research paper regarding privacy in Web3, titled “Blockchain Privacy and Regulatory Compliance: Towards a Practical Equilibrium”. The paper introduces Privacy Pools, a fresh approach to finding a balance between user privacy protection and regulatory compliance in Web3 and crypto via smart contracts. This is especially poignant with recent charges against Tornado Cash founders, a case that has been going on for more than a year. Specifically, this protocol gives honest Web3 users the opportunity to dissociate themselves from bad actors or criminals through a voluntary disclosure system.

In other news, Manta Network, known for its multi-modular ecosystem for ZK applications, has officially unveiled the Manta Pacific Mainnet Alpha. This Mainnet is touted as the first-ever EVM-native modular execution layer designed for ZK adoption, utilizing Celestia for data availability. It offers ZK-as-a-Service universal circuits and developer-friendly SDKs, creating a scalable EVM environment for ZK applications.

This launch focuses on ensuring network functionality and migrating over 250 smart contracts from Testnet to Mainnet. Subsequently, users can join in commemorating this occasion by participating in a series of on-chain events.

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This newsletter is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional financial advice or interpreted as investment advice. Cryptocurrencies are volatile assets and you should always do your own research before making any informed decisions when investing or trading.