Ethereum
Ethereum Foundation Releases zkAPI for Anonymous AI Service Payments
A new protocol allows users to fund artificial intelligence queries using cryptographic proofs to decouple user identity from submitted prompts.
The Ethereum Foundation, in partnership with the Open Anonymity Project, launched zkAPI on the Ethereum mainnet on October 1. The protocol enables users to pay for artificial intelligence services while preventing service providers and billing intermediaries from linking payment identities to specific user prompts.
The system functions by allowing users to deposit funds such as USDC or ETH into a smart contract vault on Ethereum, creating a private digital balance. When querying an AI model, the user's device generates a zero-knowledge proof verifying sufficient funds without exposing transaction history or personal details. These proofs generate temporary, capped API keys routed through provider OpenRouter.
The implementation builds on a February 2026 research proposal co-authored by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Davide Crapis, head of the foundation's decentralized AI team. The project has also released OA Chat, an open-source, browser-based chat application, while repository documentation continues to classify the zkAPI protocol as experimental.
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