Zero Knowledge

We’re back with a new look and a new jingle! In this episode, ZK Podcast returns, and host Anna Rose shares a story from her past that strangely connects to the present day and the name "Zero Knowledge." Listen in as we kick off the show once again. Applications for zkSummit13 are now open, apply for your spot here. Check out the latest jobs in ZK at the ZK Podcast jobs board. Zero Knowledge Systems on Wikipedia IF YOU LIKE WHAT WE DO: Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree Subscribe to our podcast newsletter Follow us on X @zeroknowledgefm Join us on Telegram Catch us on YouTube ZK Podcast website Read transcript

A quick update from the Zero Knowledge Podcast: The show is set to resume at the beginning of February, with exciting episodes and topics we can't wait to share with you!In the meantime, the team is hiring for two roles—a Community Marketing Manager to amplify the podcast's reach authentically and a Strategic Growth Lead to strengthen the business side of operations. If you are a potential candidate, please do apply over on the ZK Jobs Board!As 2025 approaches, the podcast aims to further explore zero-knowledge technology's potential to shape the future and invites the community to join in the journey.

The hosts reflect on the exciting advancements in zero-knowledge technology from 2024, including innovations in hash-based SNARKs and lattice cryptography. They delve into the complexities of ZKTLS and highlight the challenges developers face with Zero-Knowledge Virtual Machines. Quantum computing complications and their real-world applications are examined, along with the competitive dynamics in the blockchain space. The conversation wraps up with insights into cryptocurrency's mainstream integration and the future of ZK technology in 2025.

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.

Nico Mohnblatt, a notable expert in zero-knowledge cryptography, joins to reflect on 2024's ZK events. He shares behind-the-scenes anecdotes from the ZK Jargon Decoder and highlights key discussions from the zkSummit events. The duo explores the collaborative spirit of past gatherings and innovations in cryptographic proofs. They also delve into the educational impact of ZK Whiteboard Sessions and the importance of diverse speaker proposals in the crypto community. Insights into future developments in privacy technologies round out their conversation.

Mikerah Quintyne-Collins, a technical founder known for her work on privacy-preserving technologies, shares her journey in the crypto space. She discusses her early experiences at ChainSafe and the founding of HashCloak. The conversation dives into the challenges and advancements in Multi-Party Computation (MPC) and critiques the narratives surrounding privacy technologies. Mikerah also highlights the importance of memes in her tweet game and advocates for a collaborative approach among various cryptographic solutions in the evolving world of decentralized finance.

Just sharing 2 updates: 1) the ZK Whiteboard sessions are BACK with a second season! These videos will be released every 2 weeks for the next 3 months on ZK Hack channels - See Season 1 videos here: https://zkhack.dev/whiteboard/ See Season 2 Module 1 here: https://zkhack.dev/whiteboard/s2m1/2) The Zero Knowledge Podcast (aka this show!) will take a pause on the weekly cadence of the show starting Oct 16th until the end of 2024. Expect last 2 episodes on Oct 9 and Oct 16 There may be some additional episodes released this year (but no plans yet) Keep an eye on our website and twitter for updates about the show (and soon an updated website!)

SummaryThis week Anna catches up with Zac Williamson & Ariel Gabizon from Aztec. They cover what each has been working on over the last year, Zac shared updates about the development of Aztec and the finalization of their underlying ZK system: MegaPlonk. Ariel discussed his latest research on IVC with his publications of the ProtoGalaxy and Stackproofs works and how properties of this systems brought him and Zac to start working together again. Here’s some additional links for this episode:Episode 273: History of Plonk, Noir, and the building of Aztec 3 Episode 274: SNARKs: A Trilogy with Ariel GabizonzkSummit: plookup: Speeding up the PLONK prover - Zac Williamson & Ariel Gabizon ProtoGalaxy: Efficient ProtoStar-style folding of multiple instances by Liam Eagen and Ariel GabizonHyperNova: Recursive arguments for customizable constraint systems by Kothapalli and SettyProtoStar: Generic Efficient Accumulation/Folding for Special Sound Protocols by Bünz and Chencq: Cached quotients for fast lookups by Eagen, Fiore and GabizonDelegating Computation: Interactive Proofs for Muggles by Goldwasser, Kalai and RothblumUnlocking the lookup singularity with Lasso by Setty, Thaler and Wahby Stackproofs: Private proofs of stack and contract execution using Protogalaxy by Eagen, Gabizon, Sefranek, Towa and Williamson Accumulation without Homomorphism by Bünz, Mishra, Nguyen and WangAztec.networkCheck out the ZK Jobs Board for the latest jobs in ZK at jobsboard.zeroknowledge.fm zkSummit12 is happening in Lisbon next week on Oct 8th! Buy your ticket at zksummit.com, spots are limited!Episode SponsorsAttention, all projects in need of server-side proving, kick start your rollup with Gevulot's ZkCloud, the first zk-optimized decentralized cloud! Get started with a free trial plus extended grant opportunities for premier customers until Q1 2025. Register at Gevulot.com.Aleo is a new Layer-1 blockchain that achieves the programmability of Ethereum, the privacy of Zcash, and the scalability of a rollup.As Aleo is gearing up for their mainnet launch in Q1, this is an invitation to be part of a transformational ZK journey. Dive deeper and discover more about Aleo at http://aleo.org/.If you like what we do:Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | LinktreeSubscribe to our podcast newsletterFollow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefmJoin us on TelegramCatch us on YouTube Read transcript

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.

Zaki Manian, a key player in the Cosmos ecosystem, delves into whether Cosmos is nearing its end. He discusses its turbulent history, including the aftermath of the Luna crash and the challenges facing leadership and community engagement. Zaki highlights the ongoing efforts to revive Cosmos through innovation, confronting issues like disillusionment among contributors. They explore the need for better collaboration and the potential of new initiatives to unify the fragmented ecosystem, prompting a critical look at its future.