Matter Labs, the corporate entity behind Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solution zkSync, planned to claim 'ZK' as its intellectual property after filing trademark applications in nine countries last week. Now, Matter Labs is backtracking on those plans, withdrawing all applications after conversations with other industry members.

Backlash from the Industry

When Matter Labs first unveiled plans to trademark 'ZK,' they sparked outrage among several other ZK builders. Cofounders and leading executives at StarkWare, Polygon, Algorand, Polyhedra, and Kakarot issued a public statement condemning Matter Labs' attempt to claim ownership over the ZK term.

'A company exploiting the legal system to annex a public good violates the crypto, Ethereum, and academic ethos,' said the ZK builders in the statement.

Withdrawal Announcement

'These discussions came down to one important fact: it would be impossible to agree on a group of people perceived as credibly neutral by nearly everyone. What could have worked for Ethereum would not necessarily work for the entire world,' said Matter Labs in a post on X.

The company emphasized that its move was in response to the industry's feedback and the impossibility of finding a neutral ground.

Understanding ZK Technology

ZK, or zero-knowledge, is the term ascribed to cryptographic proof that allows one party to prove it possesses certain information without ever revealing that information. This encryption technology is key to building Layer 2 networks to make Ethereum more scalable. ZkSync, StarkNet, and PolygonZero also use the term.

Dispute with Polyhedra

Matter Labs' move to trademark the term ZK came after a dispute with Polyhedra over a proposed 'ZK' ticker symbol for its token generation event (TGE). Polyhedra contested zkSync's attempt to claim the ticker and accused them of spreading misinformation.

According to internal team messages seen by The Block, the zkSync TGE is expected to take place around June 13. The token's supply is expected to be 21 billion, and an airdrop event and official token launch will take place shortly after the TGE.

The episode highlights the importance of community consensus and the volatile nature of the blockchain industry, where attempts to claim public goods can lead to significant pushback.