Aztec Network just wrapped up a community-first token sale that pulled in roughly $61 million in ETH—and here's the kicker: half of that capital came straight from community members, not VCs or institutions.

For context, Aztec is building a privacy-centric layer-2 solution on Ethereum, tackling one of the biggest pain points in crypto: on-chain transparency. While transparency has its perks, it's a nightmare for users who want financial privacy without sacrificing decentralization.

What makes this raise stand out? The community-driven approach. In an era where most projects are backed by a handful of deep-pocketed investors, Aztec flipped the script—prioritizing grassroots participation. This isn't just about the money; it signals genuine belief in the tech and the vision behind it.

With privacy becoming a hot-button issue in Web3, Aztec's timing couldn't be better. The question now: can they deliver on the hype?