Aztec Labs CEO: "Privacy Technology is Key to Blockchain Popularization"

Zac Williamson, CEO of Aztec Labs, argued that privacy is an essential element for creating a blockchain-based society in the future. 'Aztec' is an Ethereum Layer 2 project established to protect the privacy of blockchain transactions.

On the 14th (local time), Zac Williamson, CEO of Aztec Labs, who spoke at 'ETHSeoul 2025', stated in his presentation on 'Why Ethereum Needs Privacy' that "the Web 2 market is still not strongly connected to blockchain" and "privacy technology will act as a key element in moving towards a blockchain-based society."

He pointed out that the lack of privacy technology is causing many companies to hesitate to enter the blockchain market. Zac said, "Currently, everything in the blockchain system is public. There is no way to securely protect information," and "if all of a company's information is exposed to others, they have no choice but to avoid using blockchain."

Even if a particular company wants to manage its assets on-chain, the exposure of 100% transparent information about the assets poses a high risk, leading to avoidance of blockchain use. He added that the development of privacy technology could draw them into the blockchain market.

He also emphasized the need for privacy technology for individuals. He said, "The business model of the internet is advertising. Individuals on the internet are consumed as products sold to advertisers," and "privacy technology must be further developed to prevent companies from stealing (individuals') data."

Finally, he expressed his ambition to "protect privacy through Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZK) and implement a decentralized world connected to the real world," contributing to the connection between Web 2 and Web 3.

Meanwhile, the Ethereum-based developer summit 'ETHSeoul 2025', now in its fourth year, was held on the 14th at the SKY31 Convention in Lotte Tower, Jamsil. Unlike last year, it is conducted as a one-day summit.