Polynomials are quintessential in machine learning for establishing relationships between outputs and inputs. However, there is also a field in cryptography which could not be made possible without polynomials - zero-knowledge technology. In zero-knowledge proof systems, computations are often represented as arithmetic circuits, and these circuits are translated into polynomials. This process is crucial for generating proofs that can demonstrate the correctness of computations without revealing the underlying data. The involved complexity explains the massive adoption hurdle for zk rollups compared to optimistic ones. Succinct aims to simplify the use of zero-knowledge proofs by providing a zkVM (SP1) that allows code written in languages like Rust to be proven in a privacy-preserving way. By doing so, it aims to lower the barrier to implementing zk-rollups and increase their adoption.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Uma’s background and her interest in zero knowledge tech
• How Succinct’s story began
• ZK light clients
• ZK circuits
• SP1 and the RISC-V instruction set
• The prover network
• Use cases
• ZK rollups and commoditizing ZKPs
• Incentivizing provers
• Succinct’s business model
• Supported blockchain applications
• Bottlenecks in ZK adoption
• Succinct metrics
• SP1’s competitive advantage and future roadmap
• The real world impact of verifiability

Episode links:

• Uma Roy on X
• Succinct on X

Sponsors:

• Gnosis: Gnosis builds decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem, since 2015. This year marks the launch of Gnosis Pay— the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Get started today at - gnosis.io
• Chorus One: Chorus One is one of the largest node operators worldwide, supporting more than 100,000 delegators, across 45 networks. The recently launched OPUS allows staking up to 8,000 ETH in a single transaction. Enjoy the highest yields and institutional grade security at - chorus.one

This episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst.