Privateness-focused Ethereum Layer 2 Aztec Community’s Ignition Chain flipped the swap on Wednesday, changing into the primary absolutely decentralized Layer 2 protocol on the mainnet.
“Aztec simply shipped the Ignition Chain, the primary absolutely decentralized L2 on Ethereum. This launches the decentralized consensus layer that powers the Aztec Community,” Aztec introduced on X.
The occasion occurred when the validator queue hit 500, a key checkpoint that alerts readiness to safe the community and provoke block manufacturing
The Ignition Chain is the engine powering Aztec’s objective of being a totally decentralized “non-public world laptop,” enabling builders to create DeFi purposes whereas sustaining whole secrecy.
It combines zero-knowledge proofs with Ethereum’s strong safety, enabling really non-public, scalable blockchain transactions. So, customers get the velocity and value financial savings of L2, plus privateness that’s been lacking in lots of decentralized finance (DeFi) purposes.
Anybody can grow to be a validator or sequencer by staking AZTEC tokens to earn rewards and early birds get a bonus to jumpstart decentralization. The AZTEC token public sale is scheduled for Dec. 2, opening the doorways for extra neighborhood involvement.
The debut means privacy-focused, decentralized L2 networks aren’t simply experimental tasks, they’re about to grow to be important infrastructure shaping the way forward for blockchain.
Why 500 validators?
Ethereum’s consensus depends upon distributed belief—that means plenty of unbiased validators verify transactions. But when too many validators attempt to be part of , community stability dangers taking a success. So new validators queue up, getting into in phases.
Reaching 500 validators means Aztec Ignition Chain has hit a essential mass: a powerful, resilient base of contributors able to defend the community. Extra validators imply higher decentralization, a decrease threat of a foul actor taking management, and a community safe sufficient to launch absolutely on Ethereum.

