News linked to both this project and an event.
Solana infrastructure company Helius has announced the acquisition of Light Protocol, whose team will refocus on developing privacy solutions for Solana.Founded in 2021, Light Protocol initially focused on zero-knowledge proof-based privacy tools for Solana before pivoting to co-develop ZK Compression with Helius. Launched in 2024, this solution aims to reduce on-chain data storage costs on Solana via zero-knowledge proofs, supporting large-scale consumer and enterprise applications.This acquisition will drive Light back to its original mission, combining its cryptographic expertise with Helius' infrastructure and distribution advantages to develop ZK privacy protocols for Solana, covering scenarios such as private payments and private DeFi. Helius plans to open up relevant privacy infrastructure to developers in the coming months.The transaction occurs against a backdrop of accelerating consolidation in the crypto industry and tightening fundraising conditions, while also echoing a renewed demand for on-chain privacy. Helius founder Mert Mumtaz stated that privacy will be as fundamental to blockchain scaling as HTTPS was to the internet.
Odaily Y Combinator has launched the YC Crypto Deals program to help startups secure grants, Gas fee credits, and crypto infrastructure support from partners such as the Solana Foundation, QuickNode, Helius, and Phantom.
: The Solana Foundation and Google Cloud have jointly launched the AI payment gateway Pay.sh, allowing AI agents to pay for API services on a per-request basis using Solana on-chain stablecoins, eliminating the need for traditional account systems. The system is built on the x402 protocol and supports the Machine Payments Protocol developed by Tempo and Stripe.Currently, AI agents can access Google Cloud services such as Gemini, BigQuery, and VertexAI through Pay.sh. The platform also supports AI tools including Anthropic Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, and OpenClaw, along with over 50 community API providers. Additionally, it integrates infrastructure and data services such as Helius, Alchemy, Dune Analytics, and Nansen. (Decrypt)