Howard Wu, Founder of Aleo, discusses Aleo - a privacy-focused blockchain enabling fully private applications. Topics include programming languages for SNARKs, switching from VC/Academia to founding, missing features in web services, high programmability, functional privacy, ZEXE protocol, and Proof-of-Succinct-Work.
Aleo aims to build web services that prioritize user privacy and provide a tailored experience.
Aleo separates public and private web data to address privacy concerns and improve user experience.
Aleo utilizes the ZEXI ZK construction and proof of succinct work to enable private and scalable applications.
Deep dives
Building A.L.O. on the ZEXI ZK Construction
Howard Wu discusses the motivation behind building A.L.O., a project built around the ZEXI ZK construction. The goal of A.L.O. is to build web services that are truly personal, provide a tailored experience, and allow users to have control over their information. The current web model of exchanging personal data for free services is considered outdated and incompatible, and A.L.O. aims to address this shortcoming. The focus is on building a platform that is fully private, supports personal and private applications, and separates public and private web data.
Building a Private and Programmable Web
Howard Wu discusses the need for web services that prioritize user privacy and data ownership. The current web model relies on users exchanging personal data for free services, but A.L.O. aims to provide an alternative model where users can control their information and use applications without sacrificing their privacy. By integrating private computations and zero-knowledge proofs, A.L.O. aims to make the web a better place, address issues like censorship and fake news, and provide more choices for both users and service providers.
Introducing A.L.O.: A Fully Private Platform
Howard Wu introduces A.L.O., a fully private platform built on a blockchain using the ZEXI ZK construction. A.L.O. is designed to support applications that are truly personal and private, allowing users to use their apps in peace without handing over their personal data. It offers an experience tailored for users while maintaining control over their information. A key objective of A.L.O. is to separate public web data from private web data in order to provide a better user experience and address privacy concerns on the web.
The ZEXI ZK Construction and Proof of Succinct Work
Howard Wu provides insights into the ZEXI ZK construction and proof of succinct work, the underlying technologies of A.L.O. The ZEXI ZK construction utilizes zero-knowledge proofs to enable private applications, while proof of succinct work incentivizes miners to develop hardware acceleration for efficient computation of Snarks. The design allows for private and scalable solutions, ensuring full privacy for applications and enabling miners to spend less time checking every execution. This approach aims to improve efficiency, scalability, and security for applications on A.L.O.
Developer Preview and Future Developments
Howard Wu discusses the release of Developer Preview 1 for A.L.O., including Leo, a user-friendly programming language, a package manager, and A.L.O. Studio, an integrated development environment (IDE). Developer Preview allows developers to start building and testing private applications on the A.L.O. platform. The team will be running a trusted setup ceremony for Marlin, a universal and updatable Snark, and continue building infrastructure and tooling to support future developments. Users are encouraged to provide feedback during this phase to iterate and improve the platform.
In this episode, we invite Howard Wu back to the show to share more about his new project Aleo - a privacy-focused blockchain that enables fully private applications. Howard's previous ZKPodcast episode, Introduction to zkSNARKs, remains one of our most popular episodes to date!
We chat about why you need programming languages for SNARKs, what it is like to switch from VC/Academia to being a founder and the two important things missing in web services, high programmability and true user privacy. The project enables private applications with both data privacy and functional privacy - where the nature of the program running and all activity remains private. It is based on the ZEXE protocol and Proof-of-Succinct-Work, from the Proof-of-Necessary-Work originally presented Joseph Bonneau & Akis Kattis
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