Ethereum
Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin and others applauded by MatterLabs amid ZK saga, here’s all
Matter Labs’ recent trademark application for “ZK”, an abbreviation for zero crypto knowledge, has sparked a debate in the Ethereum ecosystem. Known for its zkSync project, Matter Labs aims to claim sole ownership of this concept, sparking concerns among Ethereum enthusiasts and the broader crypto community.
Zero-knowledge proofs, developed through global collaboration, are fundamental and widely used. The potential monopolization of this technology by a single entity threatens innovation and open collaboration, conflicting with the community’s values of decentralization, open source principles, and collective progress.
Unified front: community proposals to protect free access
In light of the controversy, key figures in the Ethereum community have made suggestions to ensure that critical terms such as “ZK” remain freely accessible and protected from monopolistic practices. Vitalik Buterin
along with other influential community members such as Ilia Polosukhin, Hasu, Micah Zoltu, Pat Naji, Stani Kulechov, Lex Node, Haseeb Qureshi, and Pascal Cavarsaccio, have been instrumental in shaping the discourse on this issue.
Matter Labs recognized these contributions and expressed gratitude for the collective effort to protect community interests. The community’s proposal, which Matter laboratories agrees, describes a multi-faceted approach to dealing with the situation. Central elements of the proposal include the creation of an ownerless legal entity that would own the trademarks “ZK” and similar critical terms. This entity should be led by a reliable and credibly neutral organization or a consortium of community members.
Additionally, the proposal suggests that this entity would grant free licenses of these brands to everyone, ensuring open access and preventing a single entity from claiming control. To build trust and credibility, the proposal also calls for the involvement of prominent community figures and neutral organizations as guarantors, thereby strengthening the legitimacy of the initiative and its community ethos.
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Matter Labs Commitment: Commitments to Support Open Collaboration
To further demonstrate its commitment to the principles of openness and collaboration, Matter Labs has made several important commitments. First, they committed not to file new trademark applications for ZK and to refrain from appealing those applications if they are rejected. Matter Labs has also committed to never assert any ZK Marks that it currently owns or may acquire in the future, except for defensive purposes, such as to prevent third parties from asserting proprietary control.
Second, Matter Labs has committed to providing financial support for the creation of the community-led branding entity. This financial support shows their commitment to a collaborative and decentralized approach to managing critical cryptographic terms. Finally, Matter Labs has committed to immediately transferring all of its registered ZK trademarks to this new entity, signaling a concrete step toward relinquishing control and fostering a more inclusive and open environment.
Matter Labs is actively seeking involvement from the Ethereum and ZK communities to help shape and implement this new model. They invited everyone to join and contribute to this effort, providing a point of contact for collaboration at their customer service link. This initiative aims to ensure that cryptocurrency the terms remain freely available and protected against monopolization, thereby supporting a dynamic and collaborative ecosystem that encourages innovation and collective progress.
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