Introducing Aztec Tierra (Alpha V6)

Today we are announcing Aztec Tierra (Alpha V6): the platform for unstoppable private apps. Aztec Tierra is a major network upgrade delivering stronger security, formal verification of the proving system, and faster Ethereum deposits. The launch also brings a new generation of private applications and a refreshed brand and website showcasing these applications and the functionality of the platform.

Aztec is a decentralized Ethereum Layer 2 with more than 3,000 validators and fully programmable private smart contracts. Unlike networks controlled by centralized operators, Aztec has no privileged viewing keys or centralized sequencer. Developers can build freely on the permissionless network, and users can transact without exposing their private information.

A stronger, more secure network

Security, speed and stability are at the heart of Aztec Tierra.

The upgrade resolves identified vulnerabilities from previous versions, including the critical issue discovered in V5, and introduces extensive security hardening. This includes a new AI-powered security testing harness, formal verification of core cryptographic components, and comprehensive protocol improvements.

Aztec Tierra also delivers major performance gains. Private transactions get a major boost with 1 second client side proofs on a native device, a 2x speedup compared to the previous network. And a new architecture cuts Ethereum-to-Aztec message delivery from an average of 2 minutes to as low as 12 seconds, making deposits and cross-chain interactions significantly faster.

"Unstoppable apps need unstoppable infrastructure," said Zac Williamson, Co-Founder & CEO of the Aztec Foundation. "Aztec Tierra delivers a stronger, more secure foundation for applications that no single company or institution can control. Privacy shouldn't be something you have to request or trust someone else to protect. It should be built into the network."

Private apps are here

Aztec Tierra arrives alongside a growing ecosystem of applications bringing privacy to payments, trading, AI, and social.

Among the applications launching and preparing deployments:

• zk.money: Private payments and savings, built by Aztec Labs.
• Galactica: Private AI inference.
• Nemi: Private perpetuals trading.
• Nulo: A private browser wallet.
• Xochi: Private intents and trading.
• Nyx: Private payments to any Ethereum wallet.
• Olla: Liquid staking for AZTEC.
• Rolling Chat: A private message board based on Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin's Aztec experiments.

Leading the charge are zk.money and Nyx, bringing private payments and savings to everyday Ethereum users.

With Aztec Tierra's faster Ethereum messaging, users can deposit directly from any Ethereum wallet into zk.money, making private finance dramatically more accessible.

"Private transactions should be fast, intuitive, and as seamless as anything people already do on Ethereum," said Joe Andrews, Co-Founder & CEO of Aztec Labs. "With Aztec Tierra and zk.money, users can deposit directly from any Ethereum wallet and make lightning-fast private transactions without complicated bridging workflows. We're making privacy feel effortless, so users can focus on what they want to do, not the technology behind it."

A new era for Aztec

Alongside Aztec Tierra, Aztec is unveiling a refreshed brand and website at aztec.network, highlighting Aztec as the leading platform for unstoppable private apps. 

Aztec offers a fundamentally different way to build on Ethereum. As the only decentralized L2 that combines fully programmable private and public smart contracts, developers can simply choose which functions are private and which are public. Aztec handles the complexity under the hood: private functions execute and generate proofs on the user's device, keeping sensitive data inaccessible to the network, while public functions execute on the decentralized network.

"The future of private applications won't be a collection of privacy solutions launched and controlled by centralized networks," said David Steinrueck, VP of Marketing at the Aztec Foundation. "It will be built on composable, programmable smart contracts on a permissionless, open network. Aztec is the leading platform for developers to build these unstoppable private apps. Our new brand reflects this shift, and the future of how private applications will be built."

This unlocks the full power of composable smart contracts with privacy built in. Developers can build everything from private finance to confidential AI and DeFi, without sacrificing the openness and programmability of Ethereum. 

With stronger infrastructure, a growing application ecosystem, and a new identity, Aztec Tierra marks a defining step toward bringing unstoppable private apps to everyone.

Explore the new website
View the list of unstoppable private apps

About Aztec

Aztec is the leading platform for unstoppable private apps. A decentralized Ethereum Layer 2 combining fully programmable privacy with decentralized infrastructure, Aztec enables developers to build freely and users to transact, interact, and participate without surrendering their privacy.