Aptos launches keyless wallets that use ZK-proofs to verify identities.

According to a July 3 announcement, Aptos Blockchain has launched a web-hosted keyless wallet app that uses ZK-proofs to authenticate users. Called “Aptos Connect,” the new wallet allows users to connect to decentralized applications using Google login without the need for hardware security modules, passkeys, or multi-party computing networks.

According to the announcement, Aptos Connect will simplify Web3 onboarding by allowing users to create and manage Aptos blockchain accounts with a single click from their Google login, eliminating the need for private keys and providing a seamless onboarding experience. [the developer’s] app” does this by “using OpenID Connect (OIDC) standard and zero-knowledge authentication to connect social logins to blockchain accounts.

Allowing users to log in with a Google or Apple ID is not a new idea in crypto. Several wallet protocols do this, including Magic Labs' Magic Links, Web3 Auth, and Coinbase's Smart Wallet. However, Aptos says Connect provides the same convenience without requiring users to click an email link, enter a passcode or rely on a multi-party computing network.

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Instead, users simply click the “Continue with Google” button and select a Google account to log into their wallet. Aptos says Apple ID integration is “coming soon” and will provide an alternative for users who don't want to use Google.

According to developer documentation, the new app is enabled by Aptos Update Protocol 61 (AIP-61), which allows transactions to be authorized via JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) used by Google, Facebook, Apple and other login providers.

ZK-credentials are used to hide the identity of the user and login provider. This prevents blockchain data from revealing the Google ID associated with a specific Aptos account.

Aptos said in its announcement that the new wallet could help onboard “the next generation” of crypto users:

“Using familiar Web2 onboarding flows, Aptos Connector makes it easier than ever for developers to onboard a new generation of users to the world of blockchain with just one click.

Aptos Connect relies entirely on the security of the user's Google account to secure funds. As a result, the documents warn that if a user's Google account is hacked, they may lose their encryption: “If an OIDC account (eg Google) is compromised, all keyless accounts associated with the user's OIDC account are vulnerable.”

However, the documents state that some users may be vulnerable to this risk, as “all software on the Internet” currently relies on Web2 gateway providers.

In the past year, the Web3 industry has increasingly focused on developing user-friendly wallets. In June, Coinbase released its Smart Wallet app, which allows users to create a new wallet using the Windows Hello passkey. Echo introduced a similar product called the “Beam Wallet” in July 2023.

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