Aztec Labs has acquired Obsidion, the team behind ZKPassport, a zero-knowledge identity verification protocol. The deal was announced Wednesday, bringing co-founders Michael Elliot and Theo Madzou and their team into Aztec Labs. The acquisition folds a privacy-preserving identity stack directly into Aztec's cryptographic toolkit.
What ZKPassport Does
ZKPassport is built entirely on zero-knowledge cryptography. It lets users verify their identity without handing over raw personal data — think proving you're over 21 or a resident of a country without showing your actual ID. The protocol sits at the intersection of two hot trends: decentralized identity and privacy tech. Obsidion, the startup behind it, has been working on making that verification both trustless and usable.
Why Aztec Bought It
Aztec Labs is best known for its private smart-contract layer on Ethereum — it lets developers build apps where transactions are encrypted. Adding ZKPassport gives them a ready-made identity layer that fits that same ethos. Instead of bolting on a third-party KYC solution, Aztec can now offer a native, privacy-first identity option for dApps that need to check users while still shielding their data. The timing makes sense: regulators keep pushing for identity checks on DeFi, and this is a way to do it without destroying user privacy.
Who's Joining
Co-founders Michael Elliot and Theo Madzou are coming over with the rest of the Obsidion team. Neither has issued a public statement yet, but the press release notes they'll help integrate ZKPassport into Aztec's existing products. Elliot has a background in applied cryptography; Madzou focused on protocol design. The two have been building in the ZK identity space since Obsidion's founding.
The acquisition closed Wednesday, so integration work begins now. Aztec hasn't said whether ZKPassport will remain a standalone product or be folded entirely into its own developer tools. The team will likely spend the next few months wiring the protocol into Aztec's Noir smart-contract language and its upcoming private execution environment. No timeline has been shared for when users or developers will see the combined product.
