Privacy-focused chain Iron Fish also launched its Desktop Node app, making it easier for users to run an Iron Fish Node and perform private transactions.

SAN FRANCISCO, June 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Iron Fish , a fully private, proof-of-work (PoW) based layer 1 blockchain with built-in compliance features, today announced the launch of the novel Iron Fish node app. The node app was designed to be highly accessible and user-friendly, and it enables users to run a full node in just one click, making it easier than ever to manage digital assets and contribute to the growth and decentralization of the privacy-preserving Iron Fish network.With an emphasis on decentralization and accessibility, the Iron Fish team aims to offer privacy without compromise, even to those without any technical expertise.Through the new Iron Fish node application, users can:Launch a full node and sync with the Iron Fish networkView network data such as status and connected peersCustomize node settingsTake account of node resourcesCreate and delete accountsCheck token balancesSend and receive fundsMonitor transaction history and informationImport and export accountsMaintain an address book of contact addressesTo learn more about Iron Fish and start using the node app, visit https://ironfish.network/use/node-appFounded by Elena Nadolinski, Iron Fish has been in development since 2019, and leverages zero-knowledge proofs (zk-SNARKs) and the highest standards for encryption to serve as the native privacy layer for Web3. To date, the project has received $32.9M in VC funding from industry heavyweights including Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Electric Capital, and Sequoia Capital. Iron Fish launched on Mainnet on April 20, 2023, following several successful testnet phases, which concluded with more than 60,000 full nodes running on the network.ABOUT THE IRON FISH FOUNDATIONThe Iron Fish Foundation is an organization supporting the growth of the Iron Fish network, a proof-of-work (PoW) based layer 1 blockchain network, intended to serve as a fully-compliant privacy layer for digital assets and Web3. Using zero-knowledge proofs (zk-SNARKS) and robust encryption standards, Iron Fish enables users to transact in a fully private way, without compromising on accessibility. Learn more about Iron Fish, the digital cash that embodies using privacy for good, at https://ironfish.network .MEDIA CONTACTDavid Goosenberg; david.goosenberg@serotonin.co

Aztec Network, a privacy layer for web3, has raised $100 million in a Series B round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), the startup’s co-founders Zac Williamson and Joe Andrews exclusively told TechCrunch.“At a high level, Aztec is an encrypted version of Ethereum,” Andrews said. “Normally on Ethereum everything is public, but we are making it encrypted. That journey has taken us many years to play out.”Aztec Network launched Aztec Connect, an ecosystem that integrates with Ethereum DeFi protocols like Aave, Lido and Element Finance, in July 2021. In the future, it will integrate with Compound, and five other DeFi protocols, according to its website.Encrypted blockchains provide transparency for the protocol but privacy for the users, so people aren’t required to show their identities when transacting, Williamson said.“The world isn’t nice to live in without encryption,” Andrews said. “Go through your day and think about how many things you wouldn’t want people to see. Not all of it is bad; it’s just your daily life