Zack Xuereb, a leading figure in blockchain innovation, serves as Engineer and Validator Lead at Aleo Foundation. With a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to advancing privacy in blockchain technology, Zack shares his perspectives on zero-knowledge proofs, Aleo’s developer-friendly environment, and the evolving role of blockchain in creating scalable, secure applications. In this interview, we delve into Zack’s journey, his contributions to the Aleo ecosystem, and his vision for the future of privacy-focused blockchain solutions.
Q1. As you have impressive experience in the blockchain sector, leading to your leading position at Aleo, what drove you to join Aleo Network?
What initially drew me to Aleo was its unique approach to addressing a critical gap in blockchain technology: the lack of privacy. While blockchains offer transparency, they often expose sensitive data, making them less viable for applications in areas like finance and identity. Aleo’s use of zero-knowledge proofs to enable privacy-preserving and fully programmable applications stood out as the logical next step for blockchain technology.
This vision inspired me to build a self-custodial wallet on Aleo, Avail, to give people full ownership of their money and data whilst preserving their privacy. Over 1 year, my team and I developed and launched the wallet on Aleo’s testnet, supported by grants from the Aleo Network Foundation and the Maltese government. This experience deepened my understanding of Aleo’s ecosystem and the technology’s potential.
After stepping away from Avail, the wallet, I joined the Aleo Network Foundation as its first engineer to contribute directly to the protocol’s development. This role allowed me to work on enhancing the network, managing validators, and advancing initiatives like privacy-preserving and compliant stablecoins and decentralized identity solutions. My journey with Aleo has been driven by a shared commitment to solving real-world problems.
Q2. Aleo utilizes the latest Zero-Knowledge technology for security. How do zero-knowledge proofs and encryption enhance the security and confidentiality of the network?
Zero knowledge proofs are used to prove that a user ran some computation, a smart contract function, correctly on their device. Encryption is used to obfuscate the inputs and outputs of the function that was run by the user, for example from their wallet when transferring a stablecoin. The ZKP and encrypted inputs and outputs are then broadcast to the Aleo network where the proof is verified by the validators amongst other checks on the inputs and outputs, and the distributed ledger is updated with the transaction. This makes Aleo more secure as it does not reveal any sensitive information.
Q3. In your viewpoint, what are the key challenges that Aleo faces in the implementation of the zero knowledge framework to cope with the latest market requirements?
Slow proving times client side on a mobile device, but this is being improved continuously with efforts like Zprize and engineering efforts within the Aleo ecosystem and around the world.
Q4. Having a significant position as an engineer and validator lead at the Aleo Network Foundation, what is your contribution to boosting the network’s objectives ?
I work on many aspects of operations at the foundation, I am responsible for managing the validator operations and seeing that we expand the validator set to increase decentralization and network security. I also take care of engineering focused efforts and what needs to be improved at the network level for applications to thrive, along with technical partnerships and integrations.
Q5. By using Leo to decrease complexity, how does Aleo increase developer potential?
Leo is a domain specific language used to write programs that run on the Aleo network, akin to smart contracts on other networks. This abstracts away all the complexities of zero knowledge cryptography and allows the developer to focus on their application logic. It’s similar to typescript and rust.Â
Q6. Aleo leverages snarkVM for off-chain computation to enhance scalability. Based on this, what are the technical benefits thereof in comparison with the conventional on-chain models?
The technical benefits off-chain computation over on chain computation is cost, instead of all the validators re executing the same code, it only has to run once on the user’s device or a server and then it the user can prove that this has been executed correctly and all that is needed on chain is the verification of these proofs which is much more efficient than re-execution.
Q7. What are your personal goals and vision for advancing privacy through Aleo in the coming years?
My personal goal is to see Aleo realize its full potential in advancing privacy to address real-world challenges, particularly in the financial sector. I envision leveraging Aleo’s privacy-preserving capabilities to enable more efficient and secure money movement, whether for individual remittances, business transactions or merchant payments. Cross-border and merchant payments, in particular, are plagued by high costs and inefficiencies, and I see Aleo as a key player in transforming this space.
A significant part of this vision involves reducing the financial burden on merchants, especially those operating with low margins. Today, merchants face exorbitant fees from intermediaries, and I believe Aleo’s privacy-preserving and scalable technology can support the development of payment systems that lower these costs while protecting sensitive transaction data.
Beyond financial applications, my broader vision is to drive technological advancements that empower individuals and businesses, and move humanity forward. I see Aleo as a cornerstone for creating systems that respect user autonomy, with a focus on innovations like privacy-preserving and compliant stablecoins, decentralized identity solutions, and other impactful technologies.
Q8. What is your advice for aspiring developers and engineers dealing with privacy-focused blockchain development?Â
My advice for aspiring developers and engineers in privacy-focused blockchain development is to focus on understanding the fundamentals of cryptography, particularly zero-knowledge proofs, encryption, and other methods for private shared state as they are the backbone of privacy-preserving systems. Dive deep into how these technologies work and think critically about their real-world applications.
Equally important is to adopt a problem-solving mindset. Start by identifying gaps in existing systems and consider how privacy can address them. Privacy isn’t just a technical feature; it’s a tool to empower users and solve meaningful challenges.
Finally, be prepared for a steep learning curve. Privacy-focused development is a complex but rewarding field that requires continuous learning and adaptation. Collaborate with others in the space, contribute to open-source projects, and stay curious. The work you do today has the potential to shape a more secure and equitable future.
