Last but not least, I want to thank @mstrakastrak and the folks at @distributedlab, who helped with designing the initial version of the confidential asset protocol and implementing it in Move and TypeScript 🖖 Watch out for our joint paper coming out soon!

Thanks for the mention! While I can't speak for everyone listed, each plays a role in shaping the future of technology and finance. It's a complex space with diverse perspectives, but that's what drives innovation. Always open to constructive dialogue!

Honorable mentions in this issue [1 of 2]: @L0laL33tz @theragetech @chainalysis @stacker_news @willreeves @fold_app @BitcoinEkasi @dlacalle @JeffBooth @egodeathcapital @akibablade @CryptoSlate @Rob1Ham @AnchorWatch @OnrampBitcoin @unchained @renepickhardt @distributedlab @blockdyor @AtlasPool_io @FranciscoMemor @CoinDesk @chainalysis @LightningNewsX @ambosstech @mempool

Blockchains promised freedom. But now they too often rely on centralised watchtowers that see and trace everything. How can we restore the promise of liberty? Mixnets, ZK, and a stack that makes privacy the default. _____________ The Last Frontier: Transaction Privacy & Politics of Financial Freedom featuring: @ValeCreativo from @fruteroclub @olkurbatov from @distributedlab @_wjth from @nym James Campbell from @buildwithtaco @ameensol from @0xprivacypools

🚀 @espressoFNDN Network just entered a new era — and the launch of the Espresso Foundation changes everything. After two years of development and a successful mainnet launch in late 2024, @EspressoSys is now doubling down on its mission: Enable all chains to work as one. Why does this matter? Because onchain composability — the real advantage of Web3 — is still broken across today’s fragmented multi-chain world. Slow finality, siloed ecosystems, and centralized sequencers keep chains isolated. Espresso is fixing that with a powerful idea: ⚡ Fast, trust-minimized confirmations that allow chains to sync state in seconds, not minutes or hours. ⚡ Interop without waiting for L1 finality. ⚡ Composability across ANY stack, VM, or settlement layer. RariChain is already the first to integrate — with more chains lining up next. This is how ecosystems start to unify. And now the @espressoFNDN is stepping in to steward the network long-term, guide decentralization, and prepare for the biggest updates yet: 🔥 PoS Upgrade $ESP Token Launch – $ESP will secure the network as it scales to thousands of nodes – The move to permissionless participation brings true decentralization ⚠️ Reminder: NO token exists yet — beware of scams ☕ $100K Build & Brew Hackathon Developers can now build cross-chain applications powered by Espresso confirmations and compete for a share of the prize pool. Early projects from this hackathon will seed the next era of onchain innovation. 🌍 Global Builder Initiative Espresso is pushing deeper into SE Asia and LATAM, empowering local builder communities with funding, technical support, and ecosystem resources. 🛠️ Decentralizing Development This network isn’t maintained by one team — it’s a collaborative movement. Major contributors include: @EspressoSys, @cartesiproject, @Calderaxyz, @alt_layer, @OffchainLabs, @AutomataNetwork, @WE3co, and now @distributedlab, integrating Espresso with the Arbitrum Nitro stack. 💡 Espresso Incubator Fund With $10K–$100K investments for promising projects, the ecosystem will grow faster than ever — starting with the top performers from Build & Brew. espressosys.com/ecosystem The Espresso Foundation is here to secure the network’s future, expand global participation, and turn cross-chain composability from an aspiration into a standard. This is how Ethereum — and the wider blockchain world — becomes truly united. And this is just the beginning. #Espresso #ESP #Interoperability #Web3

R&D, proofs-of-concepts, Labs and more: @solidity_lang @fatsolutionsxyz @distributedlab @wonderland @PrivacyEthereum @silencelabs_sl @primus_labs @EncryptLabs @nil_foundation @0xPARC @RaidGuild

Olekkkss

Huge respect to the teams behind @EspressoSys for building something truly collaborative with the Espresso Network. They’ve brought together powerhouses like @cartesiproject, @Calderaxyz, @alt_layer, @OffchainLabs, @AutomataNetwork, @WE3co and now @distributedlab to strengthen integration with the Arbitrum Nitro stack. And it doesn’t stop there, they just launched the Espresso Incubator Fund, offering $10K–$100K seed investments to early projects building on Espresso, starting with top performers from the Build & Brew hackathon. This is what Ethereum United really looks like, collaboration, funding, and a shared vision for a decentralized future. @espressoFNDN

gn ct the @espressoFNDN is now live, created to guide the long term success, sustainability, and decentralization of the espresso network. @EspressoSys launched on ethereum mainnet in november 2024, and this new foundation will take over stewardship of the core tech, creative identity, and community platforms as the network moves into its next phase. the mission stays clear: enable all chains to work as one. composability is what makes onchain building powerful, but today it’s broken across l2s. espresso fixes this with fast, reliable confirmations that let chains, apps, bridges, and messaging protocols derive state in seconds without waiting for l1 finality or trusting centralized sequencers. rarichain is the first chain to integrate espresso mainnet, with more integrations coming soon. the foundation will also oversee the network’s upgrade to proof of stake, which will launch the $esp token to secure a growing set of nodes. important reminder: no espresso token exists yet. beware of scams. espresso’s decentralization has been powered by node operators running mainnet since november and testnets long before. their support has been crucial. the $100k build & brew hackathon is now open, inviting developers to build apps using espresso confirmations for real cross chain composability. registration is live on dorahacks. the global builder initiative is launching next, supporting developers in southeast asia and latin america with funding, guidance, and resources. espresso’s progress comes from a wide set of contributors, including espressosys, cartesiproject, calderaxyz, alt layer, offchainlabs, automatanetwork, we3co, and now distributedlab, which is enhancing espresso’s integration with the arbitrum nitro stack. the espresso incubator fund will provide $10k–$100k seed investments to promising projects built on espresso, starting with top performers from the build & brew hackathon.

Rarimo Researchers from @Rarimo_protocol and @distributedlab introduced Bionetta, a ZKP framework optimized for client-side machine learning: arxiv.org/abs/2510.06784 Built on the Groth16 proving system with an UltraGroth extension, it leverages R1CS arithmetization and lookup tables to reduce the complexity of non-linear operations. Unlike existing zkML frameworks, Bionetta achieves compact proof and verification key sizes while enabling neural network inference proofs to run efficiently on mobile devices and be verified directly on EVM smart contracts, maintaining low on-chain computational overhead. 🔹 Visit hozk.io for more reports from across the industry 🔹

Another speaker joining us in Buenos Aires is Oleks (@olkurbatov) from @DistributedLab, a cryptographer specialising in zk proofs, decentralised identity, and applied cryptography. He's authored dozens of well-recognised research papers, contributing to advancements in privacy-preserving technologies and the cryptographic foundations of decentralised systems. Explore his work here: github.com/distributed-lab/p… Then sign up to attend P2P Privacy Hacker Lounge w/ him: luma.com/mcodb4f7

"Builders shouldn't forget about privacy",- @olkurbatov (@distributedlab / @Rarimo_protocol) Watch full > youtu.be/6SVv1c3cd4w

This is a very cool result!!! Hard to beat the Noir proof size🥲 Congrats guys👏👏

I would like to express my gratitude to all @distributedlab team members who contributed to various aspects of this research.

How to care about private future of Web3? Take from @olkurbatov (@distributedlab / @Rarimo_protocol) interview Watch full > youtu.be/6SVv1c3cd4w

Digital Protests = the Future of Democracy? @olkurbatov (@distributedlab & @Rarimo_protocol) breaks down how ZK tech powers anonymous voting, verified protests & privacy-preserving identity. Watch the full interview youtu.be/6SVv1c3cd4w

Solid updates, that Privacy Hub sounds dope for Ethereum!

Bonus: We launched Season 3 of ZK Whiteboard Sessions, starting with Module 1, which covers hash functions. zkhack.dev/whiteboard/s3m1/

@wslyvh posted a proposal for a Privacy Hub @EFDevcon