Aztec Labs relaunched zk.money, its self-custodial privacy wallet for stablecoin payments, on the Aztec Network on September 29, three years after shutting the original down.
The wallet hides payment amounts, balances and recipients inside the privacy-focused Ethereum Layer 2. Users claim a handle such as bob.zk.money, which resolves through the Ethereum Name Service to a deposit address, and can deposit DAI, USDC and USDT from Ethereum. USDC and USDT are converted to DAI on the way in, leaving DAI as the only currency inside the wallet. Aztec announced the relaunch in a post on X.
The original zk.money launched in 2021, served more than 75,000 wallets and processed over $100 million before Aztec Labs shelved it. Joe Andrews, the company’s chief executive, said demand was not the reason. The earlier system, he said, was difficult to expand and could not scale globally. Its replacement, the fully decentralized Aztec Network, went live in November 2025, and private smart contract execution was activated on September 21, eight days before the relaunch.
The wallet opens under strict limits. Each deposit, payment and withdrawal must stay below $2,500, and all users share a $50,000 daily deposit allowance that replenishes over time. A deposit costs 35 cents plus Ethereum fees, a withdrawal 20 cents, and users get 100 sponsored transactions a day inside the wallet. Andrews said the limits will be raised as confidence grows and after a later version goes live.
Privacy is not total. Aztec’s documentation says a deposit from Ethereum reveals the sender and amount, and deposit and withdrawal addresses are screened against a sanctions policy. A sealed server co-signs operations inside the wallet but cannot spend user funds on its own.
The launch also precedes a fix for a known flaw. Contributors disclosed a critical vulnerability in the network’s V5 proof system in August, with a fix planned for V6, and Andrews said zk.money goes live before it is patched. Aztec’s documentation warns that its software has not been fully audited and that critical bugs are possible. DeFi protocol integrations and a mobile app are planned for the fourth quarter, with no dates set.
