The upgrade establishes Mina as the first zero knowledge (ZK) blockchain with native ZK programmability, enabling developers to build with a powerful framework for leveraging ZK features for scalability, privacy, and verification in their applicationsGENEVA, June 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mina Protocol , the zero knowledge (ZK) blockchain for proving anything, has completed a major network upgrade process bringing enhanced ZK programmability to its mainnet. The upgrade enables zkApps to be built and deployed on the Mina mainnet, setting the stage for the development of new zero knowledge-powered use cases and equipping builders with a powerful and easy-to-use ZK developer toolkit.In development since 2021, the long-anticipated upgrade moves smart contract execution off-chain, and leaves verification on-chain, solving many of the most common blockchain infrastructure challenges, such as data constraints, scalability issues, and high gas costs. This paradigm shift makes it easier for developers to build with zero knowledge and create zkApps, granting new levels of control and ownership for users over their data.zkApps can enable and scale new use cases for voting, healthcare, digital identity, gaming, and much more. Examples of projects already building in the Mina ecosystem include PunkPoll , a censorship-resistant survey and voting platform, bioSNARKs , a stack for biotech data, Hakata , a solution offering "compliant privacy" for Web2 and Web3 companies, and Paima Studios , an engine for on-chain gaming. Unlike many other dApp platforms that use new programming languages, zkApps use o1js , a TypeScript-based library already understood by a wide pool of TypeScript developers who are now empowered to build with ZK.Kurt Hemecker , CEO of Mina Foundation , an organization serving the Mina Protocol and its ecosystem, said, "This upgrade not only marks a major milestone for the Mina community but is a significant breakthrough for the industry as a whole. The killer use cases for blockchain – DeFi, on-chain gaming, digital identity, blockchain interoperability, voting, secure supply chains, and compliance – all require zero knowledge proofs as a foundation to innovate and scale

PRESS RELEASE. April 15th, 2024 –– Aligned Layer has successfully raised $2.6 million in a funding round led by Lemniscap, a VC firm specializing in