Aleph Zero

What Aleph Zero does

Aleph Zero is a Layer 1 blockchain platform operated by the Aleph Zero Foundation, a Swiss nonprofit headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, founded in 2018 and staffed by 51–100 employees including 5 PhDs in mathematics and computer science. The protocol uses a peer-reviewed DAG-based consensus mechanism called AlephBFT to deliver subsecond transaction finality, with a dual architecture comprising a WASM Layer 1 (using ink!, a Rust-embedded smart contract language) and, until August 2025, an EVM Layer 2 built on the Arbitrum Orbit stack offering 250ms block times. The platform's headline differentiator is zkOS, a ZK-privacy system that achieves subsecond proving times and powers Privacy-as-a-Service across both WASM and EVM environments via the Shielder backend.

The ecosystem serves three primary segments: developers building decentralized applications, enterprises requiring privacy-preserving blockchain infrastructure (including regulated financial use cases), and DeFi protocols seeking low-cost, high-throughput execution. Named customer deployments include Common (a multichain private DEX built by Cardinal Cryptography), 21X (the first European DLT-based exchange for tokenized securities under the EU DLT Pilot Regime), and Bank Pekao (Poland, for an art-preservation initiative). Distribution runs through token listings on 12+ exchanges, hardware wallet integrations (Ledger, Tangem), browser wallets (Aleph Zero Signer, Talisman, SubWallet, Nova, Nightly, MetaMask Snap), and fiat on-ramps (Banxa). A $50 million Ecosystem Funding Program and a tiered Ambassador Program drive developer and community acquisition.

The Foundation does not collect protocol-level revenue in the conventional sense — transaction fees flow to validators, and 10% of network inflation accrues to an ecosystem treasury. The AZERO token has ~355.9M circulating supply (max 520M), ~$120.6M market cap, 25.5% of supply staked across ~1,736 nominators and validators, and an average staking APY of ~19.22%. The Foundation's primary funding has been a $14.8M private sale (November 2021) and the $50M ecosystem allocation. Recent strategic pivots include the July 2025 sunset of the EVM Layer 2 and the announced establishment of a Swiss Association for decentralized governance, signaling consolidation around the WASM L1 core.

Name

Aleph Zero

Legal name

Aleph Zero Foundation

Website

https://alephzero.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Aleph Zero is a Swiss-based Layer 1 blockchain platform operated by the Aleph Zero Foundation, offering a DAG-based consensus protocol (AlephBFT) with subsecond finality and a ZK-privacy layer (zkOS). It serves developers, enterprises, and DeFi protocols via WASM smart contracts and an EVM Layer 2 (sunsetting August 2025).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Layer 1 Blockchain Infrastructure

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Smart Contract Execution Environments (EVM/WASM, runtimes, precompiles) (FSAPABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Governance / DAO Validator Participation & Delegation Infrastructure (FSADAKAL)

Keywords

• Layer 1 blockchain
• ZK privacy platform
• Smart contracts infrastructure
• Blockchain developer tools
• Cross-chain bridge

Headquarters

HQ city

Zug

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Network Transaction Fees: AZERO token is used to pay for transaction fees on the Aleph Zero network including WASM smart contract fees and EVM fees. Fees are paid by users executing transactions, creating a continuous revenue stream proportional to network activity.
2. Staking Inflation: Annual token supply inflation (exponentially decreasing) distributes newly minted AZERO to validators, nominators, and ecosystem treasury. Validators earn commission, nominators earn staking rewards, and 10% goes to ecosystem treasury for development.
3. Validator Node Operations: Validators require minimum 25,000 AZERO stake and earn rewards through network inflation. Validators charge commission from nominators who delegate their stake.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Aleph Zero operates a privacy-first layer 1 blockchain platform that combines a peer-reviewed AlephBFT DAG-based consensus protocol with a WASM L1 (using ink! Rust smart contracts) and an EVM L2 (built on the Arbitrum Orbit stack). Its core differentiator is the zkOS zero-knowledge privacy layer delivering subsecond proving times and Privacy-as-a-Service (PaaS), complemented by the Shielder private-transaction backend and the MOST cross-chain bridge. The platform monetizes these capabilities via the native AZERO token used for transaction fees and staking, alongside ecosystem and developer tooling.

Product overview

Aleph Zero is a layer 1 blockchain platform offering a modular architecture with WASM L1 and EVM L2 capabilities. The core infrastructure includes the AlephBFT consensus protocol (DAG-based, peer-reviewed), zkOS privacy system (subsecond ZK proving), and the native AZERO utility coin. Developers can build using ink! (Rust-based) or Solidity via Solang. The ecosystem spans multiple products: Common (private DeFi suite), ArtZero (NFT marketplace), idOS (decentralized identity), AZERO.ID (private domains), 21X (regulated securities trading), and various wallets (Signer, Common Wallet, Nightly, Ledger, Tangem). Privacy-as-a-Service is delivered through zkOS and Shielder. The network provides bridging via MOST, data availability services, and supports staking with approximately 25.5% of supply staked. Aleph Zero maintains carbon-negative operations through offset programs and operates a $50M Ecosystem Funding Program plus Ambassador Program for community growth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aleph Zero Signer: A browser extension wallet for managing Aleph Zero accounts and signing transactions, available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, and Opera browsers.
• Common
• zkOS
• zkToolkit
• AZERO.ID

Products and services

• Aleph Zero Layer 1 Blockchain Platform A privacy-first Layer 1 blockchain platform combining a peer-reviewed AlephBFT DAG-based consensus protocol with subsecond transaction finality, a WASM L1 supporting ink! Rust smart contracts, and a Nominated Proof-of-Stake network with approximately 170 validator nodes. Designed for developers building decentralized applications, DeFi protocols, and enterprise solutions.
• zkOS Privacy Layer Zero-knowledge privacy system capable of achieving subsecond proving times, enabling Privacy-as-a-Service (PaaS) via seamless app integrations on both WASM and EVM-compatible networks. Delivers client-side ZK privacy for crypto and AI applications.
• zkToolkit A set of custom tools developed by the Aleph Zero team to help developers integrate the zkOS privacy layer with existing applications.
• Shielder Privacy Solution A privacy solution comprising smart contracts, relayers, and cryptographic frameworks that acts as the backend for private transactions on the Aleph Zero network. Audited by ZK Security and enables private transfers with AML/CFT compliance.
• Aleph Zero Signer Browser Extension A browser extension wallet for managing Aleph Zero accounts and signing transactions across Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, and Opera. Audited by Kudelski Security and works with any Substrate-based chain.
• AZERO Native Utility Token The native utility token of the Aleph Zero platform used to secure the network through staking, pay for transaction fees, provide a basic unit of account, and participate in governance voting. Circulating supply of approximately 355.9 million with a maximum supply of 520 million AZERO.
• Aleph Zero EVM L2 EVM Layer 2 blockchain powered by the Arbitrum Orbit stack with 250ms on-demand block times, opening the Aleph Zero ecosystem to the Solidity developer community.
• MOST Bridge Aleph Zero's native bridging solution between Ethereum, Aleph Zero WASM L1, and the Aleph Zero EVM L2. Designed to offer reduced fees for bridging native ETH, stablecoins, and other tokens from Ethereum to the Aleph Zero ecosystem.
• Aleph Zero Data Availability Layer A data availability layer leveraging Aleph Zero's low storage fees and high throughput for use by other chains. Enables operations on the EVM while storing data on Aleph Zero WASM for reduced costs and faster transactions.
• Common (Multichain Private DeFi Suite) A multichain private DeFi suite developed by Cardinal Cryptography enabling fast, private, and AML/CFT-compliant on-chain trading. Features deep liquidity aggregation, privacy-enhanced order mechanisms, MEV and front-running protection, and multichain support.
• ArtZero NFT Marketplace An NFT marketplace built on Aleph Zero providing quick and easy access to digital collectibles and NFTs from different collections and artists.
• idOS Decentralized Identity Network An open-source, composable, and chain-agnostic decentralized data storage and access management protocol. Consists of a compliant dStorage Network hosting user-encrypted W3C Verifiable Credentials and an Access Management Protocol allowing users to control their data.
• 21X DLT-Based Securities Exchange The first European DLT-based exchange for tokenized securities enabling institutional-grade trading of tokenized stocks, bonds, and funds under the EU's regulated DLT Pilot Regime with 24/7 smart contract-enabled trading.
• AZERO.ID Private Domain Name Service The first private domain name service built on Aleph Zero, translating wallet addresses into NFT-based domains with added privacy features for account balances and domain-to-domain transfers.
• Syncra DAO Builder A no-code solution for creating privacy-enhanced DAOs using Aleph Zero and Liminal, providing a streamlined process for building decentralized autonomous organizations.
• Crowdgenix Tokenization Platform A ZK-powered institutional-grade DeFi platform for real-world assets offering omnichain tokenization infrastructure including a Tokenization Engine, Launchpad, and DEX for tokenized assets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Subsecond transaction finality
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

AI capability2 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Arbitrum FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2025Consortium member in idOS $4.5M funding round. Arbitrum's EVM L2 built on Arbitrum Orbit stack integrates with Aleph Zero ecosystem for ZK-privacy solutions.
• NEAR FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2025Consortium member in idOS $4.5M funding round. NEAR is a Layer 1 blockchain protocol.
• GnosiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2025Consortium member in idOS $4.5M funding round. Gnosis builds prediction markets and payment infrastructure.
• RadixcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2025Consortium member in idOS $4.5M funding round. Radix is a Layer 1 DeFi platform.
• Tezos FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2025Consortium member in idOS $4.5M funding round. Tezos Foundation supports the Tezos blockchain ecosystem.
• idOScoreTechnology or Integration · 12 September 2023idOS (Identity Operating System) is the identity layer of web3, built as an open-source, composable, chain-agnostic solution. Listed as featured ecosystem project and consortium partner in $4.5M funding round.
• LedgercoreTechnology or Integration · 29 June 2023Aleph Zero application officially released on Ledger wallets (Nano X and Nano S Plus). Application built by Zondax and audited by Kudelski Security. Users can store and transfer AZERO with multisig support.
• University of NicosiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2023Partnership to advance blockchain technology and education. University of Nicosia is a leading institution in blockchain education.
• ZondaxcoreTechnology or Integration · 2 May 2023Zondax developed the Aleph Zero Ledger application which was first available via Ledger's developer mode on May 2, 2023, before full public release.
• TechstarsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2023Aleph Zero partnered as Innovation Member for Techstars Web3 Accelerator's Class of 2024. Supports startups building on the network through the accelerator program.
• Stablecoin StandardminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2023Strategic partnership announced to facilitate the future of on-chain commerce with stablecoin integration.
• Substrate Builder's ProgramcoreTechnology or Integration · 13 November 2021Aleph Zero development team is part of Parity's Substrate Builder's Program for teams building Substrate-based blockchains.
• Crypto Climate AccordminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAleph Zero joined the Crypto Climate Accord initiative to expedite decarbonization and introduce #ProofOfGreen solutions.
• ZondaxcoreTechnology or IntegrationZondax built the Aleph Zero Ledger application. Has developed over 50 Ledger applications and is a reliable partner for Ledger app development.
• Kudelski SecuritycoreTechnology or IntegrationConducted security audit of Aleph Zero Signer and Ledger application to ensure highest security standards for handling user accounts.
• Cardinal CryptographycoreTechnology or IntegrationCore developer of Aleph Zero and builder of Common (private DeFi suite), Shielder Network, and other ecosystem projects.
• NativeminorOthersCarbon offset program partner. Aleph Zero collaborated with Native on 'Improving Agriculture and Livelihoods Project in Uganda', committing 20 carbon credits to offset emissions.
• ZK SecuritycoreTechnology or IntegrationConducted security audit of Aleph Zero Shielder, validating the privacy solution's cryptographic frameworks.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Sui: Layer 1 blockchain from Mysten Labs using Move language with high-throughput object-centric architecture. Comparable as a recently launched L1 targeting similar developer and DeFi mindshare, with stronger institutional backing and broader wallet support.
• Aptos: Layer 1 blockchain built by former Meta Diem engineers using Move language, focused on scalability and safety. Comparable as a recently launched L1 with similar academic pedigree competing for high-throughput dApp developers.
• Polygon (Polygon Labs): Ethereum scaling ecosystem including Polygon zkEVM and Polygon PoS, with major ZK investments comparable to Aleph Zero's zkOS. Indirect competitor in ZK-based scaling and privacy infrastructure with much broader institutional adoption.

Direct peers

• Secret Network: Privacy-first Layer 1 blockchain using trusted execution environments and cryptographic protocols for confidential smart contracts. Directly comparable as a privacy-preserving programmable chain competing for similar DeFi and enterprise use cases.
• NEAR Protocol: Layer 1 blockchain with sharded architecture focused on scalability and developer experience, targeting similar enterprise and DeFi use cases. Both chains compete for Substrate-adjacent developer mindshare and participate in the idOS consortium.
• Aleo: Zero-knowledge Layer 1 blockchain with privacy-first smart contracts using ZK proofs as a core execution primitive. Closely comparable in ZK-native architecture and target developer audience building privacy-enhanced dApps.
• Mina Protocol: Succinct blockchain using recursive ZK proofs to maintain a constant-size chain, focused on ZK-powered applications and identity. Comparable as a ZK-native L1 targeting developers building privacy and verification applications.
• Oasis Network: Layer 1 blockchain built for confidential computing and privacy-preserving applications, with a focus on data tokenization and Web3 scalability. Comparable privacy-first architecture targeting similar enterprise and DeFi privacy workloads.

Emerging players

• StarkNet: ZK-rollup Layer 2 on Ethereum using STARK proofs for scalable smart contracts. Comparable ZK-privacy technology stack targeting enterprise and DeFi developers, with stronger Ethereum ecosystem alignment and larger funding base.
• Internet Computer (DFINITY): Layer 1 blockchain with on-chain compute capabilities and a Swiss nonprofit foundation structure similar to Aleph Zero. Comparable in foundation governance model and focus on alternative L1 architecture for decentralized compute.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Aleph__Zero
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AlephZero
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alephzero
• Instagraminstagram.com/alephzerofoundation
• GitHubgithub.com/aleph-zero-foundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/AlephZeroFoundation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors23 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aleph Zero