Why Zero-Knowledge Proofs Are Critical to Ethereum’s Future - Ep. 473

10 snips

Mar 28, 2023

Guest

Ali Yahya

Guest

Dan Boneh

Dan Boneh, a Stanford professor specializing in cryptography, and Ali Yahya, a general partner at a16z crypto, unravel the intricacies of zero-knowledge proofs and their pivotal role in blockchain. They discuss the nuances of SNARKs vs. STARKs, the magic behind recursive SNARKs, and the urgent need for privacy in decentralized applications. Their conversation explores how zkEVMs are essential for Ethereum's scalability and the potential of zero-knowledge technology in various sectors, from finance to social networks, while addressing challenges such as trusted setups and regulatory compliance.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Ali's Crypto Journey

Ali Yahya's journey into crypto began at Stanford, sparked by the Bitcoin white paper in 2010.
Despite early involvement, he missed Bitcoin's potential, learning a "visceral lesson" after neglecting private keys.

ANECDOTE

Dan's Entry into Blockchain

Dan Boneh's interest in cryptography stems from its mathematical beauty and real-world applications.
His focus shifted to blockchains about a decade ago when his students inquired about Bitcoin.

INSIGHT

Zero-Knowledge Proofs Explained

Zero-knowledge proofs involve succinct proof systems, enabling verification of facts without revealing underlying details.
Analogies like Sudoku and "Where's Waldo" illustrate the concept of proving knowledge without disclosing the solution.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

In this episode, Stanford cryptography professor Dan Boneh and a16z General Partner Ali Yahya elevate our knowledge of zero-knowledge proofs and their applications in the blockchain world. Listen as they dive into the intricacies of succinct proof systems, the difference between SNARKs and STARKs, the magic of recursive SNARKs, and why zero-knowledge systems are essential to the evolution of Ethereum.

Show highlights:

how Ali became a general partner at a16z Crypto and why Dan started working on “the science of blockchains”
what a succinct proof system is
analogies for understanding zero-knowledge proofs
the difference between SNARKs and STARKs and whether centralization can be fully avoided
how zero-knowledge technology became so crucial for blockchains
the reasons to push computations off-chain and the applications of this technology
why zkEVMs are essential to help Ethereum scale
why privacy is important not only in financial transactions but also in other areas like social networks and gaming
the challenges that arise from trusted setups and whether it would be possible to create false proofs
how to mitigate the trusted setup problem with different proof systems
what is being built to make zero-knowledge proofs cheaper to create
whether a privacy-focused technology can be pursued while staying compliant with regulations
how zero-knowledge proofs can improve the security of blockchain bridges

Thank you to our sponsors!

Guests: