Aztec Labs has completed the acquisition of ZKPassport, yet it pledges to maintain the privacy-focused passport scanning app entirely open source. This arrangement ensures that both the iOS NFC scanner and the Noir circuits remain accessible to the public.
The Ethereum layer-2 privacy network revealed the deal on Wednesday. ZKPassport, developed using Aztec’s Noir programming language, enables users to demonstrate identity attributes from government-issued IDs without exposing personal data.
By keeping the codebase open, Aztec Labs preserves the public-good philosophy that fueled ZKPassport’s growth. Michael Elliot’s ZKPassport had already established itself as a non-profit identity solution prior to this acquisition.
ZKPassport functions by scanning the NFC chip within passports or national IDs, creating a zero-knowledge proof on the user’s device, and sharing only the specific attribute required by a service. The app initially gained momentum on Aztec’s testnet, where it resolved a Sybil attack issue that had been limiting the validator set. Shortly after integration, the network increased its daily limit for new sequencers.
Aztec’s broader strategy centers on programmable privacy. Its Ignition Chain launched in November 2025 as the first decentralized L2 on Ethereum, and the network entered alpha with a full execution environment for private smart contracts soon after. ZKPassport’s Noir circuits also played a key role in Aztec’s recent $AZTEC token sale, where they performed compliant sanctions checks during the December 2025 continuous-clearing auction without disclosing participant data.
The acquisition formalizes a relationship that had already undergone multiple live audits, with security reviews from Consensys Diligence and TU Vienna. ZKPassport’s iOS app already connects with Ethereum, Base, Aztec, and other EVM chains through on-chain verifiers. This move consolidates those capabilities under one product team while keeping integration open for external developers.
The market for privacy-preserving identity has become increasingly competitive in 2026, with players like World, Self Protocol, Holonym, Rarimo, and zkEmail pursuing similar approaches. ZKPassport’s distinguishing feature has always been its document-native method, leveraging the cryptographic signatures already embedded in ePassports and government IDs. By absorbing ZKPassport while keeping it open, Aztec Labs claims that infrastructure layer without alienating competitors. The underlying belief is that programmable privacy succeeds through composability rather than exclusivity.