Lukas Helminger, a pioneer in cryptography and privacy tech, joins Ais Connolly, a foundational force at TACEO, to discuss their innovative work on coSNARKs. They break down how these Collaborative SNARKs merge multi-party computation with zero-knowledge proofs. The duo explores practical applications, the coCircom language, and the evolution of their projects. They also touch on the implications of decentralized uniqueness verification and the challenges of biometric data privacy in the blockchain space.
coSNARKs combine multi-party computation and zero-knowledge proofs, addressing real-world privacy challenges in decentralized marketplaces.
The founders emphasize that privacy in technology is crucial for empowering individuals and maintaining control over their digital lives.
TACEO is focused on developing solutions to overcome collusion challenges in multi-party computation to enhance privacy technologies.
Deep dives
Founding Vision of Tetsuo
Tetsuo began as a consulting project but has since evolved into a dedicated initiative aimed at developing a secure compute layer for the internet through multi-party computation (MPC). The founders emphasize the necessity of integrating privacy and security into online interactions, similar to how TLS protects communication. They launched their first tools focused on collaborative Snarks, aiming to facilitate encrypted computation in distributed settings. This mission stems from a recognition of the increasing demand for privacy-preserving technologies as the digital landscape expands.
Importance of Privacy in Technology
The conversation highlights a growing concern in the tech industry regarding privacy and the protection of user data. Ash, one of the founders, stresses the need for any security-related technology to prioritize privacy considerations, ensuring that the developed technologies serve the right purposes. His view is that advancements in cryptography can shift power dynamics toward individuals, allowing them greater control over their digital lives. This perspective underscores the belief that privacy is a fundamental right that must be safeguarded amidst technological advancements.
Collaborative Snarks and Real-World Applications
Collaborative Snarks, which combine zero-knowledge proofs with multi-party computation, are gaining traction due to their potential to address privacy concerns across various applications. The founders discuss real-world use cases, including decentralized marketplaces where private information can be securely exchanged without revealing sensitive data. They emphasize that collaborative Snarks facilitate computations on private states, increasing privacy in marketplaces and enabling secure transactions. This innovation highlights the growing need for privacy-preserving technologies in today's digital economy.
Research Focus and Challenges in Multi-Party Computation
The podcast delves into the technical challenges associated with multi-party computation, particularly regarding collusion among participants. Both founders express a commitment to tackling this issue, recognizing it as a significant long-term research problem that requires innovative solutions. They indicate a need for a deeper understanding of how to maintain privacy amidst potential collusion, stressing the importance of not solely relying on trusted execution environments (TEEs) as a fix. This focus on overcoming collusion challenges reflects a broader goal to enhance the practicality of privacy-preserving technologies.
Practical Deployments and Future Aspirations
Tetsuo has already embarked on practical applications of their technology, notably collaborating with Worldcoin on a project that utilizes MPC for iris uniqueness checks. This endeavor demonstrates their ability to handle complex computations securely and efficiently, with real applications processing substantial data volumes. The founders aim to bridge the gap between traditional industries and the new world of decentralized technologies, showcasing that privacy can coexist with innovation. Overall, they envision a future where encrypted internet computation becomes standard, reflecting a pivotal shift towards privacy-centric digital interactions.
They discuss Lukas & Ais’ early work in cryptography and privacy preserving technologies, the founding of TACEO and their recent work on coSNARKs - or Collaborative SNARKs - that combine MPC and ZK. They explore how these coSNARKs are created, their coCircom language, the characteristics of these systems as well as how they can be applied in the real world.
