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Zero Knowledge

Zooko talks Zcash on our 50th episode

Nov 7, 2018
Zooko, invited guest to chat about his background and explore the history of Zerocoin and Zcash. They discuss the Sapling upgrade, reducing proving times, trusted setup, and the future prospects of Zcash. They also touch on encryption, zero-knowledge proofs, the toxic waste problem, compressing witnesses, and improving smart contract execution through Z-X-E.
01:27:51

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The recent upgrade to Zcash 2.0 resulted in a 20X speed up, making transactions significantly faster and more accessible.
  • The trusted setup process in Zcash ensures the authenticity and validity of transactions, while additional security measures minimize risks.

Deep dives

Efficiency and usability improvements in Zcash 2.0

The recent upgrade to Zcash 2.0 focused on enhancing the efficiency and usability of the cryptocurrency. One major improvement was the development of a split circuit design that reduced the size of the circuits and improved performance. Additionally, the implementation of a new zero knowledge proof system and elliptic curve provided faster processing for all applications using zero knowledge proofs. Another significant change was the replacement of the SHA-256 compression function with an optimized cryptographic function called Peterson hash, resulting in further speed improvements. Overall, these changes resulted in a 20X speed up, making Zcash transactions significantly faster and more accessible. The upgrade also introduced the ability to store spending keys in hardware wallets, enhancing security. These advancements in speed, efficiency, and usability demonstrate Zcash's commitment to providing private and secure transactions while staying at the forefront of blockchain technology.

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