Aptos launches ZK-proof keyless wallet Aptos Connect

The Aptos blockchain has introduced a new keyless wallet called Aptos Connect. This web-hosted application uses zero-knowledge proofs (ZK-proofs) to verify users.

Aptos Connect allows users to link their Google login to decentralized applications (dApps) without needing hardware security modules, passkeys, or a multiparty computation network.

Aptos Connect offers users a streamlined experience by enabling account creation and management with Google logins instead of traditional secret keys or mnemonic phrases. Aptos stated:

“Aptos Connect allows users to create and manage an Aptos blockchain account by signing in with their existing Google accounts.”

This approach leverages Aptos Keyless, which links a user’s social account to their blockchain account using zero-knowledge proofs. This eliminates the need for seed phrases and ensures a fully web-based experience on both desktop and mobile browsers.

Simplifying user authentication

Managing private keys has long been a challenge in the blockchain industry. Aptos Keyless addresses this by using familiar Web2 social sign-ins like Google and Apple, simplifying the user experience and improving onboarding for Aptos apps.

Keyless uses the OpenID Connect (OIDC) standard to authenticate users through Web2 social login platforms, tying a user’s OIDC account to their blockchain account.

Zero-knowledge proofs ensure privacy and security, allowing validators to verify user identity and transaction authorization without exposing sensitive information.

The high-level mechanics of Aptos Keyless involve using a hash of a user’s email ID and app ID for the blockchain address. Google, or another OIDC provider, signs over this and any arbitrary data, such as a transaction.

Validators can verify, using zero-knowledge, that the transaction signature matches the email and app ID in the blockchain address, maintaining both security and privacy.

“Users stay within your app without leaving to download and interface with an external wallet application; execute transactions without interrupting the user experience with foreign pop‑ups.”

Aptos

Developers can integrate Aptos Connect into their dApps using the Aptos Wallet Adapter. This tool provides a standardized way to incorporate various wallets into dApps, simplifying the process for developers.

The Aptos Wallet Adapter includes Aptos Connect by default, making it easier to implement.

Reporting by Jai Hamid