Horizen

What is the project about?  Horizen is a modular privacy-first platform designed to make privacy technology, such as zero-knowledge proofs and TEEs accessible and usable across the web. Originally launched in 2017 as a fair launch, non-ICO project, Horizen is now undergoing a major evolution with the launch of Horizen 2.0, a next-generation Layer 3 (L3) appchain deployed on Base, the Ethereum Layer 2 developed by Coinbase. Horizen 2.0 is built as an Ethereum-aligned Layer 3 appchain on Base, inheriting Ethereum's security while implementing its own application-level integrity guarantees. Key components of Horizen’s security model include: Ethereum-Aligned Security: As an appchain deployed on Base, Horizen 2.0 benefits from Base’s rollup security and settlement on Ethereum, ensuring robust finality and composability with other L2 and L3 applications. Simplified and Secure Architecture: Unlike Horizen’s previous iterations (which used a hybrid PoW/PoS model), Horizen 2.0 focuses on application-level security, decentralization of its privacy layers, and composability with existing infrastructure — reducing complexity and increasing user safety. Decentralized Privacy Stack: Horizen’s focus on decentralizing privacy infrastructure (e.g., decentralized proof generation) allows for modular, secure applications that uphold data confidentiality without compromising performance. What makes your project unique? Privacy-first Approach: Horizen integrates a diverse stack of privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) — including zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs), trusted execution environments (TEEs), attribute-based encryption (ABE), multi-party computation (MPC), and fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) — to deliver scalable, flexible, and future-ready privacy solutions across its platform. First Privacy Appchain on Base: As an L3 on Base, Horizen benefits from Ethereum’s security and Base’s scalability, while enabling a privacy layer for any app on the network. This unlocks new possibilities for private identity, DeFi, onchain gaming, and compliant confidential transactions. Zero-Knowledge, Without the Trade-Offs: Horizen 2.0 scales ZK privacy and verification by integrating with leading zk infrastructure providers such as Fermah, zkVerify, and Singularity, optimizing proof generation for performance, cost-efficiency, and developer usability. Token Utility Expansion: ZEN’s updated tokenomics allocates 5 million unminted tokens toward strategic ecosystem growth. ZEN powers DAO governance, serves as a payment token in privacy apps, and supports a sustainability fund to accelerate privacy innovation. Developer-Centric Design: With EVM compatibility, privacy-friendly tooling, and the ability to embed privacy directly into smart contracts, Horizen allows developers to build privacy-first apps without requiring deep cryptographic expertise. DAO-Led Governance: Governed by the Horizen DAO and shaped through co