Polygon launches CDK privacy upgrade

Polygon said on May 12 it launched a privacy upgrade for its Chain Development Kit, or CDK, aimed at institutions that want to run custom chains without publishing raw transaction data to a public network. The company described the release as a new privacy configuration for CDK that keeps transaction data inside infrastructure operated by the chain owner while still settling proofs to Ethereum. Polygon’s developer documentation says the setup is built as an OP Stack validium using OP Succinct AltDA and SP1 Hypercube proofs. The release adds a private-chain option to Polygon’s broader pitch for CDK as a way to launch custom Ethereum-connected chains with built-in access to Agglayer interoperability. Polygon’s docs say CDK chains connect to Agglayer by default, and the privacy configuration is intended for institutions that need data residency and confidentiality controls while remaining connected to Ethereum-based liquidity and settlement. (polygon.technology) ### What did Polygon actually release? Polygon’s May 12 blog post says the upgrade is a “privacy configuration” for CDK rather than a separate network or token launch. The configuration lets an institution deploy what Polygon calls a private blockchain it “owns and operates,” with Ethereum used to verify correctness through zero-knowledge validity proofs. (docs.polygon.technology) The developer docs describe that chain as an OP Stack validium. In Polygon’s documentation, raw transaction data is stored in a data-availability server run by the institution, while Ethereum receives only a Keccak256 commitment and a validity proof. The docs say that means transaction data does not reach a public network even though settlement remains anchored to Ethereum. (polygon.technology) ### How does the privacy model work in practice? Polygon’s docs say the batcher sends transaction batches to an institution-operated data-availability server through the standard OP Stack alt-DA HTTP API. The batcher then posts an L1 transaction containing a commitment to the batch rather than the batch contents themselves. Succinct is the proving partner named in Polygon’s materials. (docs.polygon.technology) Polygon said SP1 Hypercube generates the proofs for the privacy configuration, and its blog post said the proving system is already running in production on Katana Network and generating proofs daily. ### Who is this aimed at? Polygon’s documentation repeatedly points to institutions and regulated operators. (docs.polygon.technology) The docs say the configuration is for users that want customer data to remain inside infrastructure they control, with access for regulators, auditors and counterparties granted on the institution’s terms. The company’s materials also tie the product to enterprise identity controls. (polygon.technology) Polygon said RPC endpoints, block explorers, contracts and even specific functions can be gated through systems such as Okta or Azure AD, allowing chain operators to set role-based access and policy controls around who can see or use parts of the chain. (docs.polygon.technology) ### What stays public, and what stays private? Ethereum remains the public settlement layer in Polygon’s design. Polygon said only a cryptographic fingerprint and a zero-knowledge proof settle to Ethereum, while the underlying transaction data stays inside the operator’s environment. Polygon framed that as “private data, public verification” in its launch materials. (polygon.technology) Agglayer remains part of the public-facing connectivity story. Polygon’s docs say the private chain can still connect to Agglayer for cross-chain liquidity and state, which the company says gives institutions access to stablecoins, tokenized assets and counterparties across connected chains. ### Where can developers see or test it? Polygon’s developer site now includes a dedicated privacy configuration page under CDK documentation. (polygon.technology) That page outlines the architecture, the alt-DA flow, the proof pipeline and the operating model for institution-run infrastructure. GitHub tooling is already public through 0xPolygon’s repositories. The kurtosis-cdk repository says it can deploy a private, portable and modular Polygon CDK devnet for development and testing, including Agglayer components, an L2 chain and optional monitoring tools. (docs.polygon.technology) The repository warns that the package is for development and testing, not production use. Polygon’s next step is likely to be developer adoption through those docs and repositories. (docs.polygon.technology) As of May 14, the privacy configuration is documented on Polygon’s site, and 0xPolygon’s kurtosis-cdk package remains the public deployment path for CDK devnets and test environments. (github.com)