What is zk-SNARK?

5 min readMar 21, 2024

Recently, I’ve become very interested in the pretextual technologies used by many blockchains, in particular, many of them are built on. snarkOS, snarkVM, Zero-Knowledge, zk-SNARK. The last of these technologies will be discussed today.

zk-SNARK is a revolutionary cryptographic technology that is used throughout the blockchain, including authentication, digital identification, etc. They provide a powerful tool for conducting transactions and proving knowledge in a private, scalable way.

What does this acronym mean and what are its components? zk-SNARK…

The acronym stands for Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge, which is difficult to understand, but it contains a lot of possibilities and complexities.

Translated, it means:

Zero knowledge.

Ensures that the speaker can confirm a statement without revealing any information about it

2. Brevity.

The size of the proof is small and the verification is quick.

3. Non-interactive

Does not require any exchange of information between the one who proves and the one who verifies.

4. Knowledge argument

A computational version of a proof of knowledge.

For those who want to fully understand the essence of this revolutionary cryptographic technology, I suggest you read the next paragraph carefully and you will understand everything.

zk-SNARK consists of three main components: The Prover (the one who proves), the Verifier, and the Concise Proof. The Prover wants to convince the Verifier that the statement is true without revealing the statement itself. The Concise Proof is what makes this possible quickly and efficiently.

But how does zk-SNARK differ from other zero-knowledge proofs, such as zk-STARK or Bulletproof?

For starters, zk-SNARKs often require a “trusted installation” — a one-time initialization phase. They are also highly efficient, making them ideal for systems with limited computing resources. These unique capabilities make zk-SNARKs an attractive choice for applications ranging from blockchain to data privacy initiatives.

How zk-SNARKs work?

Now that you understand the roles played by references and verifiers, it’s time to focus on the math that makes their interaction appealing.

To create a zk-SNARK, the Reference creates a “proof” using polynomial equations — think of them as cryptographic puzzles. These equations are the basis of zk-SNARK, providing a secure channel to transmit the truth without revealing it.
Randomness plays a crucial role in this process. The verifier adds a bit of randomness to the equation by creating a unique fingerprint for each proof. This randomness acts as a cryptographic fog that makes it impossible to reverse engineer the original assertion.
In essence, these polynomial equations can only be solved by the person proving them, but can be checked by anyone. They are a puzzle that only the Prover knows the answer to, but anyone can confirm the correctness of the answer without even knowing what the answer is.

Key applications of zk-SNARK

Where can this technology be used, you may ask. And I’ll tell you — from strengthening blockchain transactions to revolutionizing identity verification, zk-SNARKs are unsung heroes in the quest for a more private and secure digital world. Here are some of their most interesting applications:

1.Blockchain and smart contracts

zk-SNARKs enable private transactions in public ledgers. It is the secret sauce that allows transactions on blockchain platforms to be made anonymously but verifiably.

2. Identity verification

Imagine being over 21 without revealing your date of birth, or proving your citizenship without showing your passport. zk-SNARKs make this level of privacy possible.

3. Secure financial transactions

In a world where data breaches are the norm, zk-SNARKs provide strong privacy protection for online payments. They ensure that your financial data is your business and no one else’s.

4. Data privacy in the healthcare sector

Unfortunately, medical records are a goldmine of personal information for hackers. zk-SNARKs can encrypt these sensitive files, ensuring that they are only accessible to patients and authorized service providers.

Each of these applications demonstrates the transformative power of zk-SNARKs in protecting privacy in a variety of areas.

How does Aleo use zk-SNARKs to make the internet safer?

Aleo integrates zk-SNARKs into its core architecture, making them an essential component of every transaction within its zero-knowledge virtual machine (zkVM).

This provides several benefits:

Privacy.

Aleo uses zk-SNARK to achieve privacy by default. Because the network is decentralized and uses zk-SNARKS, private information is never sent to a centralized server for proof generation.

2. Scalability.

Aleo’s SnarkVM revolutionizes blockchain computing by requiring only confirmation of computations in the chain, which simplifies the entire transaction process.

3. Cost-effectiveness

Optimization for zk-SNARK significantly reduces the cost of transactions, making them cost-effective. On Aleo, a program or computation can run indefinitely without stopping due to certain limitations.

Conclusions.

So, while other types of proofs such as STARK have their advantages, Aleo chooses zk-SNARK because of their unique combination of efficiency and cryptographic strength. STARKs, for example, require trusted customization, making them less effective for Aleo’s specific use cases. The choice of zk-SNARKs is perfectly aligned with Aleo’s mission to create a scalable and secure blockchain environment.

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P.S. Thank you very much for reading my article to the end, paskon4ick was with you.

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