Zero-Knowledge Proofs
Polygon Acquires Zero-Knowledge Cryptography Firm Toposware
Sources close to the deal told CoinDesk that the company was valued at $30-50 million. The purchase means that Polygon Labs has invested over $1 billion on zero-knowledge research and acquisitions, the team shared in a press release.

Layer-2 Network Starknet Gets Ethereum Virtual Machine With Zero-Knowledge Proofs
The zkEVM, called Kakarot, already in testing, will be available via the Starknet Stack.

Thiel-Backed Cryptography Startup Lagrange Raises $13M
Lagrange, which specializes in zero-knowledge cryptography, is the latest startup to ride EigenLayer's "restaking" wave.

EigenLayer-Powered Aligned Layer Raises $20M to Make ZK Proofs Faster, Cheaper on Ethereum
The fundraise was led by Hack VC and included contributions from DAO5, L2Iterative, NomadCapital_io, FinalityCap, Symbolic VC and Theta Capital

Crypto Exchange OKX's Polygon-Powered Layer 2, 'X Layer,' Hits Public Mainnet
OKX's comes as other major cryptocurrency exchanges, like Coinbase and Kraken, have also pursued their own layer 2 networks over the last year.

Alpen Labs Looks to Scale Bitcoin With Zero-Knowledge Proofs Using $10.6M Funding
Alpen Labs has emerged from stealth mode following the funding round, having spent the last year developing Bitcoin rollup infrastructure to bring smart contract functionality to the network

Venture Firm A16z Releases Jolt, a 'Zero-Knowledge Virtual Machine'
The release is the product of a16z's first foray into deep tech research.

Ethereum Finalizes 'Dencun' Upgrade, in Landmark Move to Reduce Data Fees
A key element of the upgrade is to enable a new place for storing data on Ethereum – referred to as "proto-danksharding," which gives room for a dedicated space on the blockchain that is separate from regular transactions, and comes at a lower cost.

Polygon Lands Astar Network as First User of New 'AggLayer'
By plugging into the AggLayer, Astar users will have access to the liquidity in the Polygon ecosystem, allowing cross-chain transactions between Astar and Polygon zkEVM, supposedly making the experience feel like a single chain.

Taiko, an 'Ethereum-Equivalent ZK Rollup,' Raises $15M
The Taiko project, distinguished for its "based sequencing" architecture, is one of several competing for relevance among a deep field of Ethereum layer-2 networks.
