TLDR
- Ethereum Foundation launched zkAPI on Ethereum mainnet with the Open Anonymity Project.
- zkAPI lets users pay for AI models and metered APIs without linking payments directly to their identity.
- Users can deposit ETH or USDC and prove available funds through zero-knowledge proofs.
- Temporary API keys allow access while keeping the underlying deposit private.
- The system supports AI chat, agents, RPC services, media generation, VPN bandwidth, and machine payments.
The Ethereum Foundation has launched zkAPI, a payment system for private access to artificial intelligence models and metered services. The system is live on Ethereum mainnet. The Ethereum Foundation developed it with the Open Anonymity Project.
zkAPI separates payment records from API activity. Users can pay for services without giving providers an account identity tied to every request. The launch follows Ethereum work on privacy, cryptographic proofs, and AI infrastructure.
Users deposit ETH or USDC into an Ethereum vault contract. The contract records the balance as a private note. Software on the user’s device then creates a zero-knowledge proof when a payment is due.
Private Payments Without Permanent API Accounts
A zkAPI server checks that proof before issuing a temporary API key with a spending limit. The proof confirms funds without showing which deposit supports the payment. Ethereum’s work on cryptographic proof systems points to wider use of similar technology.
The user sends prompts directly to the model provider with the temporary key. After the key expires, zkAPI deducts the cost from the private balance. A published nullifier prevents users from spending the same balance twice.
The client supports OpenAI and Ollama APIs on a machine. Apps and editors can connect through localhost instead of requiring a new interface.
The launch comes as Ethereum network activity remains closely watched. Recent data showed large holders adding ETH while exchange balances fell, providing market context around new network tools.
Ethereum Foundation Notes Privacy Limits
zkAPI does not hide a user’s network address. A gateway may still connect repeated requests from the same IP address. Users seeking network privacy can route traffic through Tor.
Prompt content can also reveal identity. Personal details, writing habits, or conversation history may reconnect separate sessions. The project’s repository describes zkAPI as experimental, so the system may change as testing continues.
The project builds on a design published in February by Davide Crapis and Vitalik Buterin. It arrives alongside recent Ethereum price activity, while Buterin has also discussed using cryptographic proofs and offchain computing.
The Ethereum Foundation lists AI chat, AI agents, blockchain RPC access, image and video generation, VPN bandwidth, and machine-to-machine payments among uses. zkAPI adds a mainnet tool to that effort.
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