Ethereum Foundation Launches Private AI Inference Tool

The Ethereum Foundation has launched zkAPI, a tool that enables private AI inferences via zero-knowledge proofs. The protocol decouples financial accounting from user identity during commercial large language model consumption.

Traditionally, accessing neural compute services required linking credit cards or static API credentials to every request. This legacy framework exposed users' prompt histories directly to infrastructure providers.

The new architecture shifts spending authorization to a local cryptographic balance known as a private note. Users execute a one-time deposit into a smart contract on the Ethereum mainnet, generating zero-knowledge proofs that certify available funds without exposing their funding origin or account balance.