Human.tech launched Shield, a bridge for moving assets between Ethereum mainnet and Aztec Network, coinciding with the live deployment of Aztec's Alpha V5. The bridge is the first application built on Clean SDK, a programmable privacy toolkit from human.tech that bundles personhood verification, sanctions screening, and zero-knowledge circuits for any app to integrate. Shield is live now at shield.human.tech, starting with USDC transfers.

The bridge runs in two modes. Public mode is a transparent bridge suited to users who want Aztec's lower fees without privacy. Private mode moves tokens into Aztec's private layer, where balances and transaction history stay confidential; assets arrive as "Clean" tokens denoting they were screened before entry. Both deposits and withdrawals remain visible on Ethereum in either mode. Private mode shields the activity on Aztec Network itself.

Transfers above a $1,000 USD threshold require a client-side zero-knowledge proof coined "Proof of Clean Hands." Human confirms a valid government ID and clean sanctions status, with data structured for lawful disclosure under a court order reviewed by Holonym Foundation and approved through the Human Network's onchain conditions contract. Identity data is threshold-encrypted at issuance rather than stored in plaintext.

Also live alongside V5 is the Azguard browser extension wallet, which lets users hold public and private Aztec balances directly and bridge USDC in via Shield.

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