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Ethereum launches zkAPI to let users pay for AI privately

The system works by depositing ETH or USDC credits into a vault contract, then using cryptographic proofs so no single party can link identity to prompts.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Market Structure

Ethereum has put zkAPI live on the Ethereum main network, a feature designed to let people pay for AI services without tying their identity to what they ask, the Ethereum Foundation said.

The foundation said the approach separates payment from identity by depositing credits, including ETH or USDC, into a vault contract on Ethereum, creating a private balance that cannot be traced back to the deposit.

It also said zkAPI was built with the Open Anonymity Project, and that an accompanying browser-based private chatbot called OA Chat launches alongside it, with the code available on GitHub.

The Foundation pointed to growing privacy concerns in AI, citing a May 2025 federal court order directing OpenAI to preserve output logs, including chats users had deleted, in a copyright lawsuit brought by The New York Times and other publishers.

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