## What is Aleo

### A zero-knowledge Layer 1 built for private, programmable applications

Aleo is a Layer 1 blockchain built from the ground up around zero-knowledge proofs. Founded by Howard Wu, Aleo introduced Leo, a purpose-built programming language that makes private application development accessible without deep cryptographic expertise. Its snarkVM executes programs off-chain and submits only ZK proofs on-chain, meaning sensitive data never touches the public ledger.

### Aleo is well positioned for institutions

1,000+

TPS

20%

Of transactions are private

$400M+

Funding raised

### What's Being Built on Aleo

A growing ecosystem of privacy-native applications tackling real problems in payments, identity, and financial infrastructure.

#### Private Payments

Aleo powers end-to-end encrypted stablecoins enabling payroll, treasury transfers, and B2B settlements without exposing transaction data on public rails.

#### Identity & Compliance

With zPass, Aleo's ZK-based credential system, applications can verify identity, age, accreditation status, or regulatory eligibility without ever seeing the underlying personal data.

#### Financial Applications

Aleo supports a new class of financial apps where individual positions, trade sizes, and wallet balances remain private while pool state stays public.

### The features you need on Aleo

\
\
Email and Social Login\
\
Onboard to decentralized applications as easily as you browse the internet\
\
Learn more](/content/features/pay-with-crypto/index.html)

\
\
EOA Support\
\
Connect your favorite EOAs securely and instantly\
\
Learn more](/content/features/pay-with-crypto/index.html)

\
\
External Wallet Funding\
\
Fund your wallet with flexible deposit options\
\
Learn more](/content/features/pay-with-crypto/index.html)

\
\
Multi-Wallet Handling & Merging\
\
Manage multiple wallets and accounts from a single touchpoint\
\
Learn more](/content/features/pay-with-crypto/index.html)

\
\
Pay with Crypto\
\
Use external wallets and exchanges to pay with any token on any chain\
\
Learn more](/content/features/pay-with-crypto/index.html)

### Key terms to know

- **Leo**: A purpose-built programming language for writing zero-knowledge applications on Aleo. Leo abstracts away the complexity of ZK circuit design, allowing developers to build private apps without needing deep cryptographic expertise. It is Rust-inspired and includes developer tooling and a test framework.

- **snarkVM**: The zero-knowledge virtual machine powering Aleo, which executes programs off-chain and submits only cryptographic proofs to the network. This keeps computation private, removes the on-chain execution bottleneck, and opens the door for more complex applications that would be prohibitively expensive to run on-chain.

- **AleoBFT**: A formally verified Byzantine Fault Tolerant consensus protocol, inspired by Narwhal and Bullshark. AleoBFT finalizes blocks in a DAG-based structure, maintaining safety even if a portion of validators act maliciously and has been independently audited for correctness.

- **Selective Disclosure**: Rather than exposing all transaction data publicly, selective disclosure encrypts activity on-chain by default while allowing authorized parties, including auditors, regulators, and compliance teams, to access specific details on demand using view keys.

- **Prover Network**: Instead of bottlenecking proof generation through a centralized entity, Aleo distributes the work across an open network of incentivized participants. Anyone can run a prover node and earn rewards for contributing, making ZK proof generation decentralized, censorship-resistant, and resilient by design.

### FAQs

- **What makes Aleo different from other Layer 1 blockchains?**
  Aleo is built around zero-knowledge proofs at the protocol level, meaning privacy is the default for every application, not an optional layer added on top. Unlike EVM chains that process all transactions publicly, Aleo executes programs off-chain and submits only ZK proofs on-chain.

- **What is the Leo programming language?**
  Leo is Aleo's purpose-built language for writing zero-knowledge applications. It abstracts away the complexity of ZK circuit design, allowing developers with general programming experience to build private apps without deep cryptographic expertise.

- **What types of applications are best suited for building on Aleo?**
  Aleo is well-suited for any application where data confidentiality is a feature requirement: private stablecoin payments, payroll, DeFi protocols, identity verification, and compliance-sensitive financial infrastructure.

- **How does Aleo balance privacy with regulatory compliance?**
  Through selective disclosure. Transactions on Aleo are encrypted on-chain by default, but authorized parties can access specific transaction details on demand.