Matter Labs, the team behind Ethereum’s layer-2 scaling solution zkSync, has decided to abandon its efforts to trademark the term “ZK” — short for “zero knowledge” proofs. The decision came three days after senior ZK researchers criticized the firm’s actions, emphasizing that ZK innovations should be a public good accessible to all.

“As a result of these conversations, we decided to drop all trademark applications,” Matter Labs stated in a June 2 post. They acknowledged that it would be impossible to reach an agreement on a universally recognized group of impartial individuals. What worked for Ethereum might not be applicable globally.

“As a result of these conversations, we decided to drop all trademark applications for the term ‘ZK’.”

In a public letter, ZK advocates argued that ZKs should remain a public good and not be trademarked by a corporation. They stated that using the legal system to annex a public good would violate a fundamental principle of the cryptocurrency sector. The letter, dated May 30, was signed by seven individuals, including Shafi Goldwasser, Silvio Micali, StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson, and Polygon Labs co-founder Sandeep Nailwal.

Matter Labs initially stated that it applied for ZK-related trademarks to ensure that ZK could be freely used in conjunction with names like “ZK Sync” and “ZK Stack.” They clarified that having a trademark doesn’t mean you legally own a word or phrase and can prevent others from using it. Instead, it only applies to how the term is used with specific goods or services.

The issue over zkSync’s trademark application arose just as the protocol was preparing for an airdrop scheduled for mid-June. zkSync is one of the most popular Ethereum Layer 2 blockchains, designed on ZK-proof technology rather than the optimistic rollup strategy used by networks like Optimism, Arbitrum, or Blast.

Meanwhile, Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, announced on March 28 that USDC would be natively integrated into the zkSync ecosystem. This integration aims to enhance liquidity and usability within zkSync, increasing efficiency and reducing costs.

For more updates on the latest developments in the cryptocurrency world, stay tuned to Global Crypto News.

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