Aztec Network Token Sale Concludes: $60M Raised in ETH, TGE Vote Possible as Early as February 11, 2026

Aztec Network, the privacy-focused Ethereum Layer 2 solution, has successfully wrapped up its public token sale on December 6, 2025, raising a total of 19,476 ETH (approximately $60 million at prevailing prices) from over 16,741 participants.

This community-driven auction, which ran from December 2 to December 6, allocated 1.547 billion AZTEC tokens at a fully diluted valuation (FDV) of 98,493 ETH (~$280 million), representing a 75% discount to the project’s most recent private round. With 50% of the funding sourced directly from the Aztec community—including testnet operators and creators—the sale underscores a shift toward decentralized, fair-launch models in blockchain projects.

The Token Generation Event (TGE) is set to be triggered by a single on-chain governance vote, with participants eligible to initiate it as early as February 11, 2026. Upon successful TGE, 100% of sale-acquired tokens will become fully transferable, and a Uniswap V4 liquidity pool will launch automatically. If no vote passes, tokens will unlock linearly through November 13, 2026. Holders of 200,000 or more AZTEC tokens began receiving block rewards on December 6, marking the start of network incentives ahead of full mainnet activation in early 2026.

Aztec Network: Pioneering Privacy on Ethereum with AZTEC Token

Aztec Network is building the first decentralized, privacy-preserving Layer 2 on Ethereum, leveraging zero-knowledge proofs (ZK) to enable confidential transactions without compromising scalability or security. The AZTEC token will power the ecosystem, facilitating governance, staking for sequencers, and payments for privacy computations. With 165 nodes currently powering the testnet—producing blocks but not yet processing user transactions—Aztec is in a deliberate staging phase to stress-test economics before launch.

This TGE timeline aligns with Aztec’s roadmap: Tokens remain non-transferable until the governance vote, stored securely in user-created Token Vaults on Ethereum. These vaults allow staking, delegation, and governance participation pre-TGE, ensuring early contributors can engage without liquidity risks. The project’s dashboard shows robust early adoption, with the network poised for real economic testing in Q1 2026.

  • Privacy Tech Edge: Uses ZK-SNARKs for shielded transactions, enabling confidential DeFi and dApps on Ethereum.
  • Token Utility: Governance voting, sequencer staking (minimum 200,000 AZTEC for rewards), and fee payments for privacy services.
  • Ecosystem Focus: Targets confidential payments, private voting, and scalable RWAs, backed by Vitalik Buterin and Polygon.

Community-Driven Sale: 16,741 Participants and $60M Milestone

The auction model prioritized fairness, with early contributors (testnet operators and builders) getting one day of exclusive bidding before opening to the public. Over 16,700 participants committed, raising 19,476 ETH—equivalent to about $60 million at an ETH price of ~$3,080 during the sale. This success highlights Aztec’s strong grassroots support, with 50% of funds from non-institutional sources, contrasting traditional VC-heavy launches.

Post-sale, token holders can immediately stake or delegate via their vaults, earning block rewards and preparing for the TGE vote. Aztec’s team emphasized this as a “community-first” approach, testing a new auction mechanism to minimize insider advantages and maximize decentralization.

  • Participation Breakdown: 16,741 bidders; average contribution ~1.16 ETH per participant.
  • FDV Context: $280M at sale pricing, positioning AZTEC as a mid-cap contender in L2 privacy tokens.
  • Risk Note: Tokens illiquid until TGE; no secondary market access pre-February 2026.

What’s Next for Aztec: TGE Vote, Mainnet, and Uniswap V4 Integration

The February 11, 2026, TGE window kicks off a pivotal phase: Only sale participants and genesis sequencers can vote, ensuring vested stakeholders drive the decision. A successful vote unlocks full transferability and activates a Uniswap V4 pool for immediate liquidity. Aztec’s mainnet, focused on economic stress-testing, is slated for early 2026, with full user transactions following.

This timeline allows for network maturation, including sequencer onboarding and privacy dApp pilots. As Ethereum’s L2 ecosystem expands—post-Fusaka upgrade—Aztec’s ZK privacy layer could capture significant DeFi TVL, especially amid rising demand for confidential finance.

  • Governance Mechanics: Single on-chain vote; failure leads to linear unlocks ending November 13, 2026.
  • Liquidity Launch: Uniswap V4 pool auto-deploys at TGE, enhancing AZTEC’s market entry.
  • Mainnet Roadmap: Q1 2026 full activation; initial focus on confidential payments and staking yields.

Implications for Privacy in Blockchain: Aztec’s Role in 2026

Aztec’s sale success signals growing appetite for privacy solutions in Ethereum’s scaling era, where ZK tech addresses regulatory and user concerns around transaction visibility. With $60 million raised, the project is well-funded to deliver on its vision, potentially rivaling competitors like Zcash or Polygon Nightfall. For investors, the locked tokens emphasize long-term commitment, while the community vote democratizes launch timing.

As 2025 closes, Aztec exemplifies blockchain’s evolution toward secure, scalable privacy—key for DeFi, RWAs, and beyond.

  • Market Positioning: AZTEC joins privacy tokens like ZEC ($500M cap) with L2 advantages.
  • Adoption Drivers: Ethereum’s 8x throughput post-Fusaka boosts ZK viability.
  • Investor Outlook: TGE vote could spark 2-3x price action; monitor governance for unlocks.

In summary, Aztec Network’s December 6, 2025, token sale—raising 19,476 ETH from 16,741 participants—sets the stage for a community-voted TGE as early as February 11, 2026, unlocking full liquidity and Uniswap integration. This milestone reinforces Aztec’s leadership in Ethereum privacy L2s. For holders, stake via Token Vaults now; track on-chain votes for the launch—secure your position in this ZK frontier.

ETH-0.31%
ZEC16.8%
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