Ethereum Foundation and Open Anonymity Launch zkAPI for Private API Payments
The Ethereum Foundation and the Open Anonymity Project have introduced zkAPI, a system designed to let users pay for artificial intelligence and other metered APIs without linking payments to their identities. The system is now live on Ethereum mainnet, according to Cointelegraph and an Ethereum Foundation announcement published Oct. 1.
zkAPI uses zero-knowledge proofs to separate API usage from the payment information associated with it. Users can deposit credits into an Ethereum vault and later prove that they have sufficient funds to authorize API usage without revealing which deposit belongs to them.
How zkAPI Separates Payments From API Usage
Under the system, users first fund a vault with supported assets and maintain their balance as a private note. When an API request needs authorization, software running on the user's device generates a zero-knowledge proof showing that the payment can be covered.
The payment server can verify the proof without learning the user's identity, the specific deposit being used or the precise balance behind the authorization. The system can then issue a short-lived API key with a spending limit. API requests can subsequently be sent to the provider while payment is settled separately.
The Ethereum Foundation said zkAPI was built with the Open Anonymity Project and is intended for metered services where users are charged according to usage. AI inference is an initial use case, but the system can also be applied to services such as blockchain RPC, image and video generation, VPNs and other machine-to-machine services.
Zero-Knowledge Proofs Provide the Privacy Layer
The core mechanism allows zkAPI to confirm that a payment is valid without exposing the information needed to connect the payment to a particular API request. The implementation uses Groth16 zero-knowledge proofs on the BN254 curve, along with Poseidon hashing and a Merkle tree for commitments and nullifiers.
The project builds on an earlier design for zero-knowledge API usage credits published by Ethereum researchers Davide Crapis and Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. The Open Anonymity Project and Ethereum Foundation subsequently developed the design into the current implementation.
The launch does not make API activity completely anonymous. The Ethereum Foundation notes that providers can still see the requests they process and network information such as IP addresses. Timing patterns or information contained in prompts can also potentially allow sessions to be correlated.
zkAPI Is Now Live on Ethereum Mainnet
The system is available on Ethereum mainnet, with the Ethereum Foundation publishing the client, server and contract components alongside documentation for developers. The project also provides a browser-based AI chat implementation and tools for connecting existing OpenAI-compatible applications.
For users, the immediate function is to separate the billing relationship from API access. Rather than relying solely on an account-based payment record, zkAPI uses cryptographic proofs to authorize metered usage while keeping the underlying payment information disconnected from the provider.
Writer: Ethan Collins
Crypto Journalist
Ethan Collins reports on developments across the cryptocurrency and blockchain sector. His work covers market movements, protocol updates, regulatory changes, and emerging trends in digital assets.
He focuses on presenting complex topics in a clear and accessible manner for a broad readership.
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