Polygon, StarkWare, Polyhedra Challenge zkSync Use Of The “ZK” Ticker

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As a seasoned crypto investor with a deep understanding of the industry, I strongly believe that Matter Labs’ attempt to trademark the term “zero-knowledge” is a misguided and harmful move. The crypto community thrives on openness, collaboration, and the free flow of innovative ideas. Zero Knowledge is a crucial technological concept that has been developed for the benefit of all, and it is unacceptable for any single company to try to claim exclusive ownership over it.

As a crypto investor, I’ve noticed the intense debate between Polygon, StarkWare, and Polyhedra regarding Matter Labs’ application to use the “zero knowledge” ticker for their project zkSync. These companies have strongly objected to this choice and have urged Matter Labs to withdraw the application.

In nine different countries, Matter Labs submitted trademark requests aiming to secure the exclusive use of the term “zero-knowledge” within the crypto industry, resulting in significant backlash from the community.

Industry Outraged 

As a researcher studying the latest developments in the blockchain industry, I’ve come across an intriguing situation involving Polygon, StarkWare, and Polyhedra. These companies have collectively expressed their opposition to zkSync’s usage of the “ZK” ticker. In response, Polyhedra, one of the involved parties, has declared its intention to alter its original ticker symbol from “ZK” to “ZKJ”. This decision comes as a preemptive measure against Matter Labs, which has filed trademark applications for the “ZK” ticker in nine different countries. Polyhedra made this announcement via social media platform X, stating their intentions clearly and assertively.

In order to underscore Polyhedra Network’s continuous dedication to zero-knowledge (ZK) technology and its future growth within the industry, HashKey Global has joined forces with the Polyhedra Network team. This collaboration aims to facilitate the ticker modification from ZK to ZKJ, making HashKey Global the pioneering exchange to embrace this initiative for the greater benefit of the blockchain sector as a whole.

As a crypto investor, I’ve noticed Matter Labs’ recent attempt to secure the “ZK” ticker for their project on major cryptocurrency exchanges with the goal of establishing dominance in the field of Zero Knowledge proofs. Zero Knowledge is an essential cryptographic protocol that enables one party (the prover) to confirm the validity of a statement without disclosing any underlying details. However, this decision has sparked significant backlash from the crypto community. Eli Ben-Sasson, CEO of StarkWare, voiced his concern, labeling it an unjust IP grab.

As a crypto investor, I’m deeply concerned about the recent developments surrounding ZK cryptography. It was created with the intention of benefiting the entire community, and it’s disheartening to see a company attempting to claim exclusive intellectual property rights over this technology. This is similar to an individual trying to patent the very concept of baking bread – an absurd notion that goes against the fundamental principles of innovation and progress within our industry.

Industry Experts Call For Withdrawal Of Trademark Application

Leading figures in the cryptocurrency sector have penned a collective letter urging Matter Labs to withdraw their recent trademark application. The signatories, which include esteemed individuals like StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson, Polyhedra Network co-founder and zkBridge inventor Tiancheng Xie, and Turing Award laureate and ZK-proofs co-inventor Shafi Goldwasser, find the action oppressive. The letter asserts, [Your text here].

“According to our perspective, ZK functions as a common asset accessible to all. For a corporation to manipulate laws in order to claim ownership of a public good is inconsistent with the values of crypto, Ethereum, and academia. This action also contradicts Matter Labs’ own set of principles.”

In a different article on X, Polygon Labs criticized Matter Labs and urged the removal of questionable trademark registrations. Polygon accused Matter Labs of exploiting open-source code, specifically Polygon’s Plonky2 zk stack, without giving proper credit for its use.

In line with Ethereum’s core values, Polygon Labs regularly shares open-source code that brings advantage to all. One recipient of this generosity is Matter Labs, whose fundamental technology, based on Polygon Plonky2, was initially used without proper acknowledgement. However, Matter Labs now aims to trademark “zk” to potentially limit its usage by others. Is it fair for a company to monopolize math discoveries made publicly available by pioneers such as Shafi Goldwasser, Silvio Micali, Charles Rackoff, Eli Ben-Sasson (STARKs), and Daniel Lubarov (Plonky2, a widely adopted zk library in web3)? Certainly not.

Eli Ben-Sasson, the CEO of StarkWare, expressed his belief in the vast potential of Zero-Knowledge (ZK) proofs for mankind, emphasizing that no individual or organization should aim to monopolize this technology.

As a crypto investor and enthusiast, I strongly believe that ZK cryptography holds immense promise for mankind, extending far beyond the realm of blockchain. It’s an incredible technology that we, as part of the blockchain community, are fortunate enough to be introducing its first significant application. My hope is that this groundbreaking use case will pave the way for numerous other applications and advancements in ZK cryptography.

Matter Labs CEO Responds 

The CEO of Matter Labs, Alex Gluchowski, addressed the public backlash and explained his perspective. He rejected the concept of intellectual property in this context. Moreover, he emphasized that all trademarks, including those associated with ZK, were employed defensively to shield consumers from deceptive practices.

To protect our customers from being misled and prevent confusion between our offerings and those of other entities, we have registered all our trademarks, including those related to ZK, defensively. Regrettably, such deception has occurred historically.

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2024-05-31 23:45