Dan Boneh

On this week’s episode, Anna and Kobi Gurkan chat with Dan Boneh, Professor of Computer Science at Stanford and Director of the Stanford Center for Blockchain Research. They cover an expanse of topics: from how strides have been made within the development of zkEVMs to how trusted set ups could be integrated into the blockchain itself. This episode covers open problems in ZK such as how to generate ZK proofs on large amounts of data such as video and what solutions could be implemented when attempting to run a DAO with a private treasury.Here are some additional links for this episode:Episode 100: Dan Boneh on the past, present & future of cryptography Experimenting with Collaborative zk-SNARKs: Zero-Knowledge Proofs for Distributed Secrets by Ozdemir and Boneh, 2021Powers-of-Tau to the People: Decentralizing Setup CeremoniesZK Whiteboard Sessions Join ZK HACK III - see the full schedule here Join the ZK HACK Discord Follow the ZK Hack Twitter Today’s episode is sponsored by Mina ProtocolThe need for private, trustless solutions has never been more clear.Introducing Mina’s zkSpark Cohort 0, where developers share tutorials and build zero knowledge apps, or zkApps, and get rewarded. There are a quarter-of-a-million Mina tokens up for grabs for zkSpark Cohort 0 participants.Mina’s zkApps are written in Typescript, so developers can easily get started without learning a custom programming language like other zk protocols.To sign up for zkSpark Cohort 0 head to minaprotocol.com/zkpodcast. Mina will be launching additional zkSpark Cohorts, just visit minaprotocol.com to check out the best way to get involved.If you like what we do:Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree Subscribe to our podcast newsletterFollow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefmJoin us on TelegramCatch us on YoutubeHead to the ZK Community ForumSupport our Gitcoin Grant Read transcript

In this insightful discussion, Ali Yahya, a general partner at a16z crypto and former Google Brain contributor, and Stanford professor Dan Boneh, a cryptography and machine learning expert, explore the intersection of AI and blockchain. They delve into how AI can enhance crypto through decentralized frameworks and zero-knowledge techniques, while also addressing privacy in an age of deep fakes. The duo discusses the potential of personal AI mentors, the importance of human authentication, and innovative solutions for secure digital verification. Their conversation reveals a promising future at the crossroads of these transformative technologies.

with @alive_eth @danboneh @smc90This week's all-new episode covers the convergence of two important, very top-of-mind trends: AI (artificial intelligence) & blockchains/ crypto. These domains together have major implications for how we all live our lives everyday; so this episode is for anyone just curious about, or already building in the space. The conversation covers topics ranging from deep fakes, bots, and the need for proof-of-humanity in a world of AI; to big data, large language models like ChatGPT, user control, governance, privacy and security, zero knowledge and zkML; to MEV, media, art, and much more. Our expert guests (in conversation with host Sonal Chokshi) include: Dan Boneh, Stanford Professor (and Senior Research Advisor at a16z crypto), a cryptographer who’s been working on blockchains for over a decade and who specializes in cryptography, computer security, and machine learning -- all of which intersect in this episode;Ali Yahya, general partner at a16z crypto, who also previously worked at Google -- where he not only worked on a distributed system for a fleet of robots (a sort of "collective reinforcement learning") but also worked on Google Brain, where he was one of the core contributors to the machine learning library TensorFlow built at Google.The first half of the hallway-style conversation between Ali & Dan (who go back together as student and professor at Stanford) is all about how AI could benefit from crypto, and the second half on how crypto could benefit from AI... the thread throughout is the tension between centralization vs. decentralization.  So we also discuss where the intersection of crypto and AI can bring about things that aren't possible by either one of them alone...pieces referenced in this episode/ related reading:The Next Cyber Reasoning System for Cyber Security (2023) by Mohamed Ferrag, Ammar Battah, Norbert Tihanyi, Merouane Debbah, Thierry Lestable, Lucas CordeiroA New Era in Software Security: Towards Self-Healing Software via Large Language Models and Formal Verification (2023) by  Yiannis Charalambous, Norbert Tihanyi, Ridhi Jain, Youcheng Sun, Mohamed Ferrag, Lucas CordeiroFixing Hardware Security Bugs with Large Language Models (2023) by Baleegh Ahmad, Shailja Thakur, Benjamin Tan, Ramesh Karri, Hammond PearceDo Users Write More Insecure Code with AI Assistants? (2022) by Neil Perry, Megha Srivastava, Deepak Kumar, Dan BonehAsleep at the Keyboard? Assessing the Security of GitHub Copilot's Code Contributions (2021) by Hammond Pearce, Baleegh Ahmad, Benjamin Tan, Brendan Dolan-Gavitt, Ramesh KarriVoting, Security, and Governance in Blockchains (2019) with Ali Yahya and Phil Daian    As a reminder: none of the following should be taken as investment, legal, business, or tax advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information -- including to a link to a list of our investments – especially since we are investors in companies mentioned in this episode.

Dan Boneh, a Stanford professor and cryptography pioneer, joins Justin Thaler, a research partner at a16z and expert in cryptographic proof systems, to explore the fascinating world of quantum computing. They dive into the implications of quantum threats on traditional cryptography and the urgent need for adaptation. With anticipated timelines for quantum advancements, they discuss the strategies organizations must employ, zero-knowledge proofs, and the potential resilience of blockchain technologies against quantum challenges while teasing apart the noise from the real advancements.

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.

In a thought-provoking discussion, Dan Boneh, a cryptography expert and Stanford professor, teams up with Tim Roughgarden, a Columbia professor specializing in cryptoeconomics. They dive into how blockchain technology spurs advances in various industries, revealing groundbreaking topics like zero-knowledge proofs for privacy, automated market makers, and revolutionary governance through DAOs. Their insights highlight how these innovations could transform not just crypto, but society at large, echoing the historical impact of technology in improving human welfare.

with @lera_banda @danboneh @rhhackettThis episode introduces concepts behind -- and applications of -- data availability sampling (DAS), a key piece of the puzzle that could help blockchains like Ethereum achieve full scaling. A low-overhead technique that uses random sampling of data to ensure that all necessary blockchain data has been made available to nodes without straining the network, DAS features heavily in a series of planned Ethereum upgrades called "Danksharding" [named to reference Ethereum Foundation researcher Dankrad Feist]. The next Danksharding milestone for Ethereum is an upgrade called EIP-4844, known as "Protodanksharding" [also named to reference Ethereum researcher Protolambda, now at OP Labs] -- which is planned for later this year.Our expert guests include:Valeria Nikolaenko, a16z crypto research partnerDan Boneh, Stanford cryptography professor and a16z crypto senior research advisor...who discuss their recent piece on data availability sampling and Danksharding -- including a proposal they put forward to the improve current plans for upgrading Ethereum -- with Robert Hackett (a16z crypto features editor and head of special projects), based on a live conversation that took place recently on Twitter Spaces.links to pieces/ topics referenced in this episode:on data availability sampling and danksharding, an overview and proposal / Valeria Nikolaenko & Dan Bonehon Proto-Danksharding, a technical analysis / grizzly-answer-991EIP-4844: the specification of ProtoDankSharding / Ethereum FoundationProto-Danksharding FAQ / Vitalik ButerinDanksharding workshop video / Devcon (Oct 2022)2D data availability with Kate commitments  discussion on commitments' expansion / Ethereum Research Foruma note on data availability and erasure coding / Github---None of this is investment, business, legal, or tax advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information – including a link to a list of our investments. 

In this engaging discussion, Dan Boneh, a top-tier professor at Stanford specializing in zero-knowledge cryptography, dives into his latest research. He explores cutting-edge advancements in lattice-based SNARKs and their role in post-quantum security. The use of zero-knowledge proofs in machine learning to uphold fairness and combat disinformation is particularly fascinating. Additionally, the C2PA standard's impact on image authenticity and content provenance highlights the evolving relationship between cryptography and digital integrity.

Dan Boneh, a professor and researcher in applied cryptography and computer security at Stanford, discusses the past, present, and future of cryptography. They delve into topics such as the evolution of cryptography, the integration of blockchain, the balance between transparency and privacy, the preo system, linear probabilistically checkable proofs, soundness error, preventing supply chain attacks, enhancing security in U2F tokens, multi-linear maps, and BLS signatures.

Dan Boneh, a Professor of Computer Science at Stanford and Co-director of the Stanford Computer Security Lab, discusses the intricate relationship between academia and startup culture. He delves into pressing issues in cybersecurity, including usability in digital authentication and the future of cryptography. Boneh highlights innovative approaches to tackling security challenges, the transformative role of Bitcoin, and the implications of quantum computing. He also shares insights on the impact of MOOCs in democratizing cryptography education, reaching over 600,000 students globally.