{"id":"zachary-williamson","title":"Zachary Williamson","content":"**Zachary Williamson** is a British software developer and technology entrepreneur whose career has focused on software engineering and [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) technology. He is the co-founder and CEO of Aztec, where he has been involved since 2017 and previously served as co-founder and CTO, following an earlier role as a software developer at Carallon Ltd. [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-swxmEr2Hc4OhIaAl) \n\n## Education\n\nWilliamson graduated from the University of Southampton with a Master’s in Particle Physics in 2010. He later earned his Ph.D. in Neutrino Physics from the University of Oxford in 2015. [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-bO5YCeCmnKgXR6gl) \n\n## Career\n\nWilliamson began his career as a Software Developer at Carallon Ltd in London, where he worked from January 2015 to September 2017. In January 2017, he co-founded Aztec and became its CEO, a role he continues to hold. From November 2017 to January 2025, he additionally served as Co-Founder & CTO at Aztec, working on the company's technical development before transitioning his focus to the CEO role. Williamson was also an EF9 Cohort Member at Entrepreneur First from October 2017 to January 2025 in London. His career has therefore centered primarily on software development and the creation and leadership of Aztec, with his responsibilities progressing from technical development to executive leadership. [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-bO5YCeCmnKgXR6gl) \n\n## Interviews\n\n### Aztec Alpha\n\nIn an April 2026 interview at EthCC, Williamson discussed the launch of Aztec Alpha and its capabilities as a decentralized rollup network on [Ethereum](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum) [mainnet](https://iq.wiki/wiki/mainnet). He described the network as feature-complete but in an early stage, supporting private and encrypted transactions and [smart contracts](https://iq.wiki/wiki/smart-contract), and explained how decentralization and governance were intended to reduce reliance on centralized points of control while enabling confidential information to be used onchain. Williamson also discussed his transition from physics into cryptography, his work with cryptographic researchers, and the development of [zero-knowledge proof](https://iq.wiki/wiki/zero-knowledge-proofs-zkps) systems including Plonk. He outlined potential applications for Aztec’s privacy infrastructure, including private [stablecoins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/stablecoin), governance, treasury management, [real-world assets](https://iq.wiki/wiki/real-world-assets-rwas), and identity-related use cases. [\\[4\\]](#cite-id-XMsnRVakzhWkElvy) \n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](3bAnbwZAuPI)\n\n## Presentations\n\n### Privacy and Identity\n\nIn an October 2025 presentation at [TOKEN2049](https://iq.wiki/wiki/token2049), Williamson discussed privacy as a core component of [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) infrastructure. He explained how encryption and [zero-knowledge proofs](https://iq.wiki/wiki/zero-knowledge-proofs-zkps) could enable users to verify identities and other information without disclosing sensitive data, while supporting [decentralized applications](https://iq.wiki/wiki/decentralized-application) and asset ownership. Williamson described Aztec as a decentralized [Ethereum](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum) [Layer 2](https://iq.wiki/wiki/layer-2) designed to process real-world data while preserving privacy and argued that the lack of privacy had limited [blockchain’s](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) ability to support digital cash, [decentralized finance](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi), and [real-world assets](https://iq.wiki/wiki/real-world-assets-rwas). He discussed potential applications including the on-chain issuance and trading of bonds and mortgages, unified digital identities that interact with Web2 services, private [smart contracts](https://iq.wiki/wiki/smart-contract), and systems that verify ownership and links to [real-world assets](https://iq.wiki/wiki/real-world-assets-rwas). The presentation concluded with his view that privacy infrastructure could expand on-chain liquidity and support broader applications of [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) technology. [\\[5\\]](#cite-id-C5K2fCGEZH4OrpQD) \n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](0gcW2AwDLFE)\n\n### Mainstream Web3\n\nIn a June 2025 keynote at DappCon Berlin, Williamson discussed privacy as a core component of [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) infrastructure and its role in linking digital identities with real-world information. He explained how privacy technology could support encrypted attestations, account ownership verification, and digital sovereignty while enabling interactions between Web2 data and [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) systems. Williamson argued that privacy-focused networks require changes to [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) architecture, including transaction and state models, as well as cryptographic tools such as Noir for developing zero-knowledge applications. He outlined Aztec’s progress with its live [testnet](https://iq.wiki/wiki/testnet) and decentralized network upgrades, including work on private transactions and account abstraction, alongside plans for [mainnet](https://iq.wiki/wiki/mainnet) deployment. He also discussed decentralized private-state discovery using side channels and encrypted communication, emphasizing the need to balance privacy, security, scalability, and usability for wallets and applications.  [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-sAYa3yFBFsqPxBjf) \n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](ou-_H4-8mNA)","summary":"British software developer and tech entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of Aztec, focused on blockchain and privacy technology. 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