Ethereum Foundation Debuts zkAPI for Anonymous Payments

The Ethereum Foundation and Open Anonymity Project have launched zkAPI on the Ethereum mainnet. This system allows users to pre-deposit funds in assets like ETH and USDC, separating their billing identity from service requests when paying for AI and other usage-based services.

After depositing funds, users can authorize payments using zero-knowledge proofs and one-time API keys. The server verifies the payment proof and generates short-term keys with spending limits. AI service providers receive prompts but cannot identify the associated payment identity.

However, zkAPI does not conceal the content of prompts, AI providers can still read them. Additionally, stable IP addresses, timing patterns, and repetitive behaviors may still link back to user identities. The project’s codebase labels zkAPI as an experimental initiative.