EigenLayer-Powered Aligned Layer Raises $20M to Make ZK Proofs Faster, Cheaper on Ethereum

As someone who closely follows the Ethereum ecosystem and its advancements, I’m thrilled to share my perspective on Aligned Layer, a promising new project that aims to revolutionize zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs on Ethereum.

I’ve come across an exciting development in the Ethereum ecosystem. The Aligned Layer team, responsible for Ethereum’s verification protocol, has announced a successful $20 million Series A funding round. This investment will facilitate faster and more affordable zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs on Ethereum, the world’s second-largest blockchain.

Hack VC spearheaded the fundraising effort with participation from DAO5, L2Iterative, NomadCapital.io, FinalityCap, Symbolic VC, and Theta Capital.

In simpler terms, ZK proofs are methods where one entity can authentically prove to another that a specific statement is true, without disclosing any additional details about it.

In a recent blog post published on Thursday, Aligned Layer’s objective was revealed: assisting engineers in overcoming challenges when verifying their code for Ethereum applications that incorporate Zero- Knowledge (ZK) proofs, thus reducing the overall cost of development.

I observe Aligned Layer making it simple and cost-effective to confirm the authenticity of proofs, with swift results. They then share these findings on Ethereum and any preferred data availability layer chosen by the developer.

Eigen Labs, the team behind the project, has received a significant investment of $100 million from prominent venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z).