Zero Knowledge

This week, Anna and Nico chat with Andrew Lu and Vivek Bhupatiraju from Cursive.  They map out the timeline of their in-person activations and experiments using programmable cryptography, which they have been running since late 2023. By quickly developing small applications and products to test with real users, they have gathered tangible data about these innovations at various live conferences worldwide, including our own flagship events, zkSummit11 and zkSummit12. They share the challenges and insights gained from these experimental products. Additionally, they share the concepts that inspired their innovations, such as digital pheromones and narrowcasting. Related links: Zupass ZK for web2 interop with zkLogin & ZK Email  Cursive ETH Denver Building cryptographic apps for human connection - Vivek Bhupatiraju & Andrew Lu Phantom Zone GitHub Frontiers by Paradigm  --------------- Applications for zkSummit13 are now open, spots are limited for this edition so >> apply soon << if you want to join. --------------- 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

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

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.

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.

In this engaging discussion, Andrew Miller, an expert in consensus and TEEs who has contributed to pioneering blockchain research, joins Tarun. They delve into the evolution of Trusted Execution Environments, exploring their potential to address key blockchain challenges. Andrew shares insights from his journey from virtual reality to Bitcoin and critiques the current state of consensus research. The conversation highlights emerging privacy solutions in blockchain, emphasizing zero-knowledge proofs and innovative projects like Sura, shaping the future of secure applications.