Aztec rolls out Tierra V6 upgrade to speed private apps on Ethereum layer 2

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Aztec Tierra V6 upgrade

Highlights

Aztec Foundation launched the Tierra (Alpha V6) upgrade, fixing a critical V5 vulnerability and integrating an AI-based security testing system.
Tierra V6 halves private transaction proof times to one second on-device and reduces Ethereum message latency to Aztec from two minutes to 12 seconds.
Following the upgrade, Aztec Labs relaunched zk.money, a self-custodial wallet for private crypto payments, three years after discontinuation.

Upgrade targets security and transaction speed

The Block reported that Aztec Foundation has launched Tierra, its Alpha V6 upgrade, to address vulnerabilities in earlier versions of the network and improve the speed of private transaction proofs.

The foundation said the release resolves several issues, including a critical vulnerability in V5, and adds an AI-based system for security testing. When asked why the critical issue was not fixed sooner, an Aztec spokesperson said the remedy required the entire decentralized network to move to a new version.

The spokesperson said Aztec has no central operator that can make such a change on its own and added that the project plans to make future upgrades faster when vulnerabilities are discovered. Aztec also said its network has more than 3,000 validators, no centralized sequencer and no privileged viewing keys.

Implications for developers and privacy apps

The upgrade makes private transaction proofs twice as fast, taking one second to generate on a native device, according to the foundation. Messages from Ethereum can now reach Aztec in as little as 12 seconds, versus an average of two minutes previously, a change the foundation said speeds up deposits and other cross-network transactions.

In a statement, co-founder and CEO Zac Williamson said Tierra V6 provides a stronger base for applications that no single company or institution can control. The foundation said developers can choose which app functions remain private and which stay public, with private functions running and generating proofs on the user's device while public functions run on the network.

The release follows the relaunch by Aztec Labs of zk.money, a self-custodial wallet for private crypto payments, three years after the original product was discontinued.

Our earlier article on Cohere’s planned acquisition of AISLE explained how the AI cybersecurity startup focuses on detecting software vulnerabilities and strengthening enterprise-grade security. We noted that AISLE’s tools had identified hundreds of new bugs, including OpenSSL-related issues, and that the deal was positioned to expand Cohere’s security capabilities alongside its broader AI consolidation and European growth plans.

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