Talking Tokens Why Your Data Gets Hacked Every Week (And How ZK Proofs Fix It) | Shiv Shankar
Sep 9, 2025
Join Shiv Shankar, CEO of Boundless and ex-RISC Zero engineering lead, as he dives into the revolutionary world of zero-knowledge proofs and their impact on data security. Shiv explains how ZK technology unlocks privacy and scalability, making cross-chain applications a reality. He discusses talent trends in the crypto space, the groundbreaking capabilities of ZK VMs, and the exciting future of consumer privacy. Plus, invaluable leadership insights on staying humble and absorbing knowledge in tech!
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Split Research From Growth
- Separate deep R&D from growth: keep a research team focused on core tech and a product team focused on market adoption.
- Let the marketplace integrate multiple research contributions rather than forcing one tech to dominate.
ZKVM Made Verifiable Compute Practical
- ZK makes client-side verifiable computation possible, letting devices prove results without sending raw data to servers.
- The ZK VM (e.g., RISC Zero) turned ZK from niche research into accessible, high-performance development for Rust devs.
Succinct Proofs Unlock Blockchain Scaling
- Succinctness means proofs stay tiny regardless of computation size, making them perfect for blockchains with limited space.
- That property plus performance gains is why every L1/L2 now includes ZK on their roadmap.