Blockchains are immutable record keepers, storing information about every transaction ever recorded. However, this attribute comes at a cost: as more and more transactions occur, so does the size of the record expands. In turn, the hardware requirements for running a node increase which ultimately affects decentralization. Another aspect frequently criticized is how transactions are being processed by legacy blockchains in terms of speed. For both of these aspects there is a cryptographic solution that addresses scalability: zero knowledge proofs (ZKPs). These allow one entity (prover) to prove to another entity (verifier) that a statement is true, without revealing any additional information about the process or data involved. When applied to blockchains, ZKPs improve scalability and privacy by certifying that state transitions occurred, without the need to relay the underlying information.

In Part 1 of this 2-part episode, we were joined by Anna Rose, host of Zero Knowledge Podcast and founder of ZK Summit, ZK Validator and ZK Hack, and Kobi Gurkan, Head of Research at Geometry, to discuss the state of the ZK ecosystem and how this promising technology is evolving.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Anna’s background & her involvement in the ZK ecosystem
• Kobi’s background in cryptography
• Trusted setups, a brief history: Plumo & Aztec
• ZK Hack(athon)
• The State of the ZK ecosystem
• How the ZK landscape evolved: from SNARKs to STARKs
• Trade-offs: compatibility, security, performance
• Aztec & Noir DSL
• The need for performance benchmarks
• ZK L1s: Zcash, Mina, Aleo

Episode links:

• Zero Knowledge Podcast on Twitter
• Zero Knowledge Podcast on YouTube
• The paper Kobi mentioned (by Ariel Gabizon)
• Anna Rose on Twitter
• Kobi Gurkan on Twitter

Sponsors:

• Omni: Access all of Web3 in one easy-to-use wallet! Earn and manage assets at once with Omni's built-in staking, yield vaults, bridges, swaps and NFT support.
  https://omni.app/ -

This episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/476