Aleph Zero operates as a privacy-enhancing layer 1 blockchain, designed for high speed and efficiency comparable to conventional web2 systems. It maintains stringent standards for data privacy and transaction security, while striving for genuine decentralization over time. Aleph Zero's versatility is exemplified by the active development of over 40 use cases, demonstrating its adaptability across various sectors and applications. To date, Aleph Zero has raised $15 million for ongoing development, initially bootstrapped by the founding team in early 2018. The first iteration of the Aleph Zero mainnet was launched on November 10th, 2021. Aleph Zero's growth strategy involves implementing privacy-enhancing features based on secure Multi-Party Computation (sMPC) and zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP). Access to these features will necessitate identity verification and compliance with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) policies, while the transparent network mode will continue to operate in a permissionless (non-gated) manner. AZERO serves as the native coin fueling transactions on the Aleph Zero blockchain.