StarkWare integrates EY-built Nightfall privacy tech into Starknet to provide confidential institutional transactions on public blockchains

StarkWare is integrating Nightfall, an open-source zero-knowledge privacy layer developed by Ernst & Young (EY), into its Starknet Layer 2 network. This integration aims to overcome the barrier of transparency in public blockchains that has limited institutional adoption by enabling private B2B payments, treasury operations, and tokenized asset transfers without exposing sensitive details.

Nightfall utilizes zero-knowledge proof rollups to ensure transactions are private by default while supporting selective disclosure and compliance requirements like KYC checks through cryptographic binding of addresses to enterprise certificates. StarkWare co-founder and CEO Eli Ben-Sasson views this as a milestone, enabling institutions to use public blockchain rails for private transactions. EY Global Blockchain Leader Paul Brody noted that privacy is the 'missing ingredient' for large-scale enterprise payments onchain, and this integration unlocks scalable privacy built on open standards.

(Source：The Block)