Key Takeaways
- Aztec Network is a pioneering privacy-first Layer 2 blockchain built on Ethereum. It was founded in 2017 to solve the transparency paradox hindering blockchain adoption.
- Leveraging zero-knowledge proofs, the network supports optional privacy layers—from full encryption of inputs/outputs and metadata to selective disclosure for regulators—while maintaining Ethereum interoperability through rollups and bridges, such as a recent demo linking Zcash’s shielded pool for seamless private asset utility.
- Aztec raised $100 million in a 2022 Series B led by a16z crypto and launched its public testnet in May 2025, now boasting over 24,000 validators across six continents following a September 2025 upgrade for enhanced stability and low-memory proving.
What Is Aztec?
Aztec Network is a privacy-focused Layer-2 solution on Ethereum that leverages zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs to enable confidential transactions and smart contracts while maintaining Ethereum’s security and interoperability.
Aztec’s hybrid architecture combines a Private Execution Environment (PXE) for client-side private operations with the Aztec Virtual Machine (AVM) for public execution, offering programmable privacy for DeFi, identity, gaming, and enterprise applications.
Unlike transparent blockchains, Aztec allows users to control what data remains private, using zk-rollups to reduce costs and enhance scalability.
In other words, on Ethereum today, everything is publicly visible to everyone. In the real world, people enjoy privacy. Aztec brings privacy to Ethereum:
- Private functions, executed and proven on a user’s device
- Public functions, executed in the Aztec Virtual Machine
- Private state, stored as UTXOs that only the owner can decrypt
- Public state, stored in a public Merkle tree
- Composability between private/public execution and private/public state
- Public and private messaging with Ethereum
To make this possible, Aztec is not EVM-compatible and is extending the Ethereum ecosystem by creating a new alt-VM.
How To Qualify For An Airdrop?
To join:
👉 STEP 1: Head over to https://play.aztec.network/alpha-testnet/.
👉 STEP 2: Head to https://app.obsidion.xyz/ and create an account.
👉 STEP 3: Head to https://bridge.human.tech/ and connect your Obsidion Wallet. Get some testnet tokens from Circle. After that, bridge or swap some testnet tokens in human.tech.
👉 STEP 4: Head over to https://tally.so/r/nP4VE1 and fill in all the details.
👉 STEP 5: Head over to https://github.com/0xmoei/aztec-network and set up an Aztec node.
👉 STEP 6: Keep an eye on official announcements and hope for the best!
Author’s Notes
- Follow Aztec Network on X for updates on campaigns, rewards, and new features.
- This is not a risk-free airdrop nor the reward is guaranteed.
