Matter Labs Withdraws Trademark Applications for ZK

Matter Labs, the team known for the Ethereum layer-2 scaling solution zkSync, has decided to withdraw all trademark applications for the term “ZK” denoting zero-knowledge proofs. This choice came after strong opposition from leading ZK researchers and developers.

A group of influential personalities within the zero-knowledge field, including Shafi Goldwasser, Silvio Micali, Eli Ben-Sasson, and Sandeep Nailwal, released a joint statement on May 30 criticizing Matter Labs’ move to trademark “ZK”. They argued that zero-knowledge proofs must remain a public asset and disapproved of the company's attempt to claim exclusive rights over a technology that benefits everyone.

In response to the community’s disapproval, Matter Labs made an announcement on June 2 stating the withdrawal of all trademark filings associated with the term “ZK”. The company acknowledged the challenges in reaching a consensus on intellectual property matters that are perceived neutrally by the community at large. The announcement emphasized a spirit of unity and equal access to technology.

For further details, consult the CryptoTale article.