Matter Labs, the team responsible for Ethereum’s layer-2 scaling solution zkSync, has made the decision to withdraw its attempt to trademark the term “ZK,” which stands for “zero knowledge” proofs.
This choice was made following criticism from numerous senior ZK researchers who strongly denounced the firm’s actions, stating that ZK innovations should be a public good accessible to all.
“After discussions, we have chosen to abandon all trademark applications,” Matter Labs announced in a post on June 2.
There was a consensus that it would be challenging to find a group of individuals who were universally seen as impartial. What may have worked for Ethereum may not be applicable on a global scale.
In a public statement, ZK advocates emphasized that ZKs should remain a public good and not be trademarked by a corporation. They argued that any attempt to control a public good using legal means would contradict the principles of the cryptocurrency industry.
“If the company proceeds with this, it will distance itself from the community it claims to be a part of,” the signatories expressed in a letter dated May 30.
The letter was signed by seven individuals, including Shafi Goldwasser and Silvio Micali, who are two of the creators of ZK-proofs, StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson, and Polygon Labs co-founder Sandeep Nailwal.
Initially, Matter Labs stated that they sought to trademark ZK-related terms to protect their usage in conjunction with “ZK Sync,” “ZK Stack,” and other company-related names.
There is a common misconception that having a trademark means owning a word or phrase and being able to prevent others from using it. However, trademark rights only extend to how the word or phrase is used in connection with specific goods or services.
The controversy over ZkSync’s trademark application emerged just as the protocol was gearing up for an airdrop set for mid-June.
ZkSync is a popular Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain built on ZK-proof technology, in contrast to the optimistic rollup approach used by other networks like Optimism, Arbitrum, or Blast.
In the meantime, Circle, the issuer of USDC stablecoin, announced on March 28 that its USDC stablecoin would be integrated into the ZkSync ecosystem. This integration is a significant step forward in improving liquidity and usability within zkSync, leading to increased efficiency and reduced costs.
For more information, the former Coinbase global expansion lead has joined Matter Labs as president, backed by a16z.