In real life, the number of mobile phone transfers, the balance on the card, the call data and even the object information, we will carefully pay attention to the security of the data information and not to disclose it to the public. This is personal privacy and its corresponding digital assets, and the protection of privacy has gradually become an important issue. The public consensus is also protected by law - the right to privacy.
On the one hand, the traceable characteristics of the blockchain allow the transaction information and data sources to be confirmed, and it is a reliable technology for digital asset ownership on the chain, allowing many traditional disputes and unjust, false and wrongly decided cases to obtain brand-new digital solutions, but on the other hand Aspects of information are completely exposed on the public chain, without any security measures, but many unscrupulous hackers get sufficient convenience. Digital assets are like running naked on the highway, and high-value and unique assets may become the next target of hackers at any time.
How to ensure a certain degree of privacy in transactions on the public chain? I want to facilitate the transaction, but I don’t want others to easily trace the asset information of the address on the personal chain, such as:
When A sells an NFT to B, B needs to send money to A's address first, and A transfers the NFT to B's address after confirmation, which will cause a problem of information distrust, and A needs to publish the assets in the wallet address to let B know Among them is the NFT he wants, but A's asset information is exposed to B's vision. If B has bad intentions or hackers at this time, then A will fall into the possibility of fraud.
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What is Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP)
Zero-knowledge proof means that one can fully prove that one is the legal owner of certain rights and interests without disclosing relevant information. Zero-knowledge proof can verify the validity of a certain data set and protect data privacy at the same time.
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simple example
A needs to prove to B that he is the owner of this room, assuming that the room can only be opened with the only key, and cannot be opened by any other method. There are 2 methods at this time:
A shows the key to B, and B uses the key to unlock the room, thus proving that A has the correct key for the room.
B determines that there is an object in the room, A opens the door of the room with the key he owns, and then takes out the object and shows it to B, thus proving that he does have the key to the room.
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SNARK
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STARK
The full name of STARK is "zero-knowledge scalable transparent argument of knowledge" (Chinese is "zero-knowledge scalable, transparent knowledge proof"). This cryptographic proof requires almost no interaction between the prover and verifier. The biggest advantage of STARKs over SNARKs is that the proof time is shorter and it is easier to expand. In addition, since STARKs use a hash function, they are also resistant to quantum attacks.
They each have different advantages and disadvantages. Here are the main differences between the two ZK proofs:
Proof size: STARKs are larger than SNARKs, which also means they are more expensive to verify on Ethereum, since bigger proofs = more computation = higher gas fees.
Scalability: STARKs are generally considered more efficient than SNARKs, depending on the implementation. Proof and Verification The complexity scale of STARKs grows quasi-linearly with respect to the proven computational complexity, while the complexity of SNARKs grows linearly. This means that STARKs have a greater advantage over SNARKs when it comes to proving greater computation.
Ecosystem and projects: There are many more projects using SNARKs than STARKs because SNARKs have been around longer.
Recursion: SNARKs support recursion - you can create a parent SNARK that proves multiple child SNARKs - a major feature used by many scaling solutions. STARK does not support recursion.
Quantum Safe: SNARKs use elliptic curve cryptography, which is not quantum safe. Advances in quantum computing may make SNARK-based systems vulnerable to attacks. STARKs are not vulnerable because their encryption scheme relies on hash functions.
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Projects using zk-STARK
StarkEx: StarkEx is a Layer 2 expansion solution on Ethereum, using STARK proofs to verify self-custodial transactions, and develop transaction and payment applications on it. Projects based on StarkEx include DeversiFi, Sorare, and dYdX, which have completed hundreds of millions of transactions and achieved a transaction volume of hundreds of billions of dollars. However, StarkEx cannot support smart contract functions, so it cannot realize a fully functional dApp.
StarkNet: StarkNet is a general-purpose platform that developers can use to deploy smart contracts on Ethereum's zk-rollup. Ethereum's mainstream dApps Aave and Maker both plan to launch on StarkNet. It is worth noting that StarkEx’s zk-rollup can also be released on StarkNet to improve the scalability of the application.
To take full advantage of STARK's advantages in computation and scalability, StarkWare developed the Cairo language, an efficient and Turing-complete programming language specifically designed for creating STARK proofs. This means StarkWare needs development documentation, frameworks, and other tools to activate its developer ecosystem.
Immutable X: Immutable X is an NFT platform for minting and trading NFTs and tokens. The platform uses StarkEx to create its own zk-rollup. The NFT minting and trading volume on the Immutable X platform reaches millions, and the cost can be kept low even during the period of Ethereum network congestion.
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Projects using zk-SNARKs
Zcash: Zcash was formerly known as ZeroCash. The "zero" in the name refers to the use of zero-knowledge proof technology to achieve private transactions. Zerocash was one of the early crypto projects that drove the adoption of zero-knowledge proof technology in the industry.
Loopring: Loopring is a DEX on Ethereum that supports order book transactions and does not host user assets. Loopring is connected to Chainlink Price Feeds, serving hundreds of thousands of users with billions of transactions.
zkSync 1.0: zkSync 1.0 is a rollup on Ethereum. Like StarkEx, it supports token transfer and exchange, but does not support smart contracts. The protocol was developed by Matter Labs.
zkSync 2.0: Like StarkNet, zkSync 2.0 is also a Layer 2 expansion solution for Ethereum. The volition infrastructure is adopted to support smart contracts. zkSync uses zk-SNARK to verify transactions, and uses PoS system zkPorter to ensure data availability. The main difference between zkSync 2.0 and StarkNet is that the former is compatible with EVM besides the proof of validity. 1inch, Alchemix, and Curve are all scheduled to release on zkSync 2.0.
ZigZag: ZigZag is a decentralized trading platform that uses the order book model to trade ERC-20 tokens. In contrast, most DEXs use the automated market maker (AMM) model. ZigZag's order book mode benefits from the powerful scalability of zk-rollup. Any token in the zkSync registry can be traded in ZigZag. The protocol is currently running on zkSync 1.0, but is planned for release on zkSync 2.0 and StarkNet.
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The infrastructure role of zero-knowledge proof
There are many new solutions to the trust problems generated by Web3 transactions, but with the development of blockchain technology and consensus forms, zero-knowledge proofs have gradually become a part of infrastructure power. At present, zero-knowledge proofs have two main uses:
Privacy: Minimize the amount of data exposed when conducting activities on the blockchain
Scalability: Allows intensive computation to be performed off-chain, making it cheaper to then create a succinct proof that the computation was performed honestly, which can be released on-chain.
Especially in terms of scalability advantages and prices, it can further improve the performance of many DAPPs, such as:
Accurate Market Data
verifiable random number
Smart Contract Automation
certificate of reserve
Summarize
Summarize
The demand for privacy and the advantages of scalability have improved the promotion and development of more blockchain projects. The technology and service objects of zero-knowledge proof are also constantly developing, which promotes the overall level of the blockchain industry and makes Users with needs and traditional industries who want to transform enter into Web3, remove trust costs and transaction obstacles, and realize the thriving ecology of Web3.
