Aztec Network has launched its public testnet, marking a key milestone in enhancing privacy on Ethereum. After eight years of development and a $100 million Series B funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), the privacy-centric Layer 2 solution offers a fully decentralized infrastructure for developers to build privacy-preserving applications. The testnet features account abstraction, gasless transactions, and compatibility with Ethereum tooling, supported by cryptographic technologies such as PLONK and Noir. It operates with a decentralized sequencer network, currently running 120 node operators across six continents, including 10 sequencer nodes by Nethermind. The network supports privacy-enabled swaps, NFTs, and wallets, aiming to bring programmable privacy to Ethereum’s broader ecosystem. The launch has been recognized as a significant step toward interoperability with other rollups and advancing privacy in decentralized finance (DeFi).