Alice Liu: Adam, Antoni, welcome to House of ZK and thank you so much for joining me.

Adam Gągol: Thank you, Alice. It’s a pleasure to be here.

Antoni Zolciak: Thanks for having us, Alice. It’s great to connect.

Alice: Let’s begin with your journeys. Adam, Antoni, could you share how you both got involved in the Web3 space and your focus on zero-knowledge technology?

Adam: Sure. My blockchain journey started 11 years ago with Bitcoin mining, which began as a hobby. Over time, this interest led me into academia - I completed a PhD in pure mathematics - and eventually into blockchain full-time. Six years ago, we founded Aleph Zero to address the limitations of blockchain systems, focusing initially on consensus protocols. At the time, speed and throughput were paramount. As the landscape evolved, we realized speed alone wasn’t enough, and privacy became central to our vision. We began assembling a team of cryptographers and exploring zero-knowledge proofs to embed privacy into Aleph Zero’s infrastructure.

Antoni: My background is more on the business and marketing side, rooted in tech startups and scale-ups. Adam’s idea for a new consensus protocol brought us together. Along with two other co-founders, we divided responsibilities. I’ve been focused on business strategy, marketing, and product development ever since. Early on, we envisioned Aleph Zero as a scalable, privacy-focused blockchain, and that vision has only grown stronger with time.

Alice: Fascinating. Your combined expertise - Adam’s academic rigor and Antoni’s business acumen - has clearly shaped Aleph Zero. Could you talk about the original vision behind Aleph Zero and how it fits into the broader ZK and privacy landscape today?

Adam: When we started, the blockchain ecosystem wasn’t as Ethereum-centric as it is now. We aimed to build a high-performance alternative, focusing on consensus speed and throughput. Initially, we opted for a non-EVM blockchain, anticipating that alternatives to Solidity and the EVM would emerge. Over time, the ecosystem consolidated around EVM compatibility, which prompted us to launch Aleph Zero’s EVM integration. Our current vision is to position Aleph Zero as a privacy hub for interchain applications, offering privacy-preserving features to a broader audience.

Antoni: Privacy has always been a cornerstone of Aleph Zero’s value proposition. The challenge lies in balancing usability, compliance, and privacy. With our EVM integration, we’re extending Aleph Zero’s privacy features to a much larger user base, fostering interoperability while maintaining a strong focus on user experience.

Alice: Speaking of privacy, could you elaborate on the status quo of blockchain privacy and how Aleph Zero addresses challenges like compliance and usability?

Adam: Privacy in blockchain is still in its infancy. Most solutions focus on anonymizing token transfers, but broader applications are rare. Compliance is another major hurdle. At Aleph Zero, we’ve adopted a modular approach. For instance, we use persistent IDs - cryptographically hidden but tied to user actions - to detect and mitigate malicious activities. This strikes a balance between privacy and regulatory requirements.

Antoni: We’re also exploring partnerships with identity verification systems like IDOs to streamline KYC processes while preserving user privacy. It’s about enabling privacy as a default without compromising regulatory compliance.

Alice: That’s an interesting approach. Let’s pivot to the user experience. What steps have you taken to optimize UX for Aleph Zero’s privacy features?

Adam: User experience is critical. We prioritize speed, simplicity, and seamless interactions. For instance, we’ve optimized proof generation for sub-1-second performance, even on resource-constrained devices like smartphones. We’re also addressing challenges like private account interactions with dApps by implementing workflows that minimize friction while preserving privacy.

Antoni: Another key focus is making privacy intuitive. Our goal is to integrate privacy into wallets by default, so users don’t need to think about it. Features like one-time accounts for dApp interactions simplify the process without compromising security.

Alice: It’s clear you’re committed to making privacy accessible. Could you share some use cases and projects within the Aleph Zero ecosystem that showcase its potential?

Antoni: One exciting use case is private governance. Our partner Synkra is working on anonymous voting systems, starting with governance proposals on Aleph Zero. This feature will expand to other chains as well. Another area we’re exploring is enterprise adoption, where privacy can help organizations manage sensitive data while leveraging blockchain for efficiency.

Adam: Beyond governance, Aleph Zero serves as a privacy hub for EVM-compatible chains. Users can shield assets, interact with dApps, and perform cross-chain transactions seamlessly. We’re also excited about privacy-preserving applications in fields like supply chain management and digital identity.

Alice: On the technical side, could you walk us through some of the design choices you’ve made, like using Halo 2 and Poseidon 2 for proof generation?

Adam: Our design prioritizes flexibility and speed. We chose Halo 2 for its efficient verifier times and adaptability to future upgrades. Poseidon 2 was selected for its speed and cryptographic efficiency, particularly in hashing. These choices align with our goal of delivering sub-1-second proving times while maintaining a robust and scalable architecture.

Alice: It’s impressive how much thought you’ve put into balancing technical rigor with user needs. Before we wrap up, are there any closing thoughts or announcements you’d like to share?

Antoni: We’re excited about the upcoming launch of Aleph Zero’s privacy features on mainnet. This marks a significant milestone in making privacy accessible to all blockchain users. We invite developers and enterprises to explore the ecosystem and help us shape the future of privacy.

Adam: I’d just add that privacy is as much about UX as it is about cryptography. We’re building tools that empower users to take control of their data without compromising convenience or compliance.

Alice: Thank you both for sharing your insights. It’s been a pleasure to dive into Aleph Zero’s journey and vision. I’m looking forward to seeing your work continue to evolve.

Adam: Thank you, Alice. It’s been a great conversation.

Antoni: Thanks again, Alice. We appreciate the opportunity to share our story.