April - June 2024

10 articles in this issue
Featured FRIDA: Data-Availability Sampling from FRI

FRIDA: Data-availability Sampling from FRI

We've just dropped a blog post exploring the cool world of Ethereum's latest EIP-4844 upgrade and how it tackles the data-availability conundrum with Proto-Danksharding. Get ready to dive into the intricacies of making data more accessible (and less pricey) by using nifty concepts like blobs and polynomial evaluations. Plus, we dish on the role of FRI in data-availability sampling and how it can streamline things even more. Curious? Check out the details and see how this all shapes Ethereum's future!

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zkSecurity X Bain Capital (Whiteboard Session): Unveiling the Power of Multi-party Computation

We're thrilled to share that we're featured in Bain Capital Crypto's Whiteboards series! In the first episode, David and Guillermo Angeris dive deep into the intriguing world of Multi-Party Computation (MPC). Join them as they break down complex concepts like additively-shared secrets and Shamir Secret Sharing, making the cutting-edge tech behind MPC accessible and engaging. Check out the full episode for some engaging insights and reach out to us if you're looking for MPC stack auditors!

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Circle STARKs: Part I, Mersenne

Circle Starks: Part I, Mersenne

Discover the intriguing world of Circle STARKs and how they can supercharge zero-knowledge proofs. This blog post sets the stage for a fascinating series about utilizing Mersenne prime fields to achieve lightning-fast arithmetic operations in STARK systems. You'll explore recent breakthroughs that make these fields more practical despite their previous limitations, and you'll get a sneak peek at what’s to come, including delving into group structures and implementing circle FFTs. If you're keen on cryptography and zero-knowledge proofs, this series will unveil how modern advancements are pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

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The State of Security Tools for Zkps

Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) have come a long way from theory to real-world applications like blockchains and private transactions. We’ve been busy auditing various ZKP implementations and developing tools to improve circuit safety and security. In this blog post, we’ll explore how vulnerabilities can crop up in SNARK systems and the current state of tools designed to spot these issues. From circuit bugs to the often-overlooked frontend and backend layers, we cover how various analysis techniques and formal verification approaches are evolving to ensure robust ZKP systems. Dive in to discover the potential and current challenges in ZKP security!

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Noname Meets Ethereum: Integration with SnarkJS

We're excited to share that our programming language, noname, now supports R1CS, making it easier to write zero-knowledge (ZK) circuits and deploy them on Ethereum using SnarkJS. This update introduces an alternative to the common Circom language, with a simple and intuitive syntax inspired by Rust and Golang. In this post, we illustrate how to deploy a noname-based Sudoku circuit on Ethereum, demonstrating core benefits like proving a solution's correctness without revealing it. Dive in to explore how noname could potentially unify the fragmented zkSNARK ecosystem and simplify your circuit writing process!

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Ditch the Pump & Dump Drama: Your ZK Tech Hub Awaits

We're excited to share our latest project, zkNews—your go-to hub for all things zero-knowledge. This link aggregator keeps you updated with the latest ZK news, groundbreaking research, and cutting-edge projects. Dive into the ZK world, stay informed with breaking announcements, and explore innovative tools and applications. Join our beta and help shape the future of zkNews with your feedback—big plans are in the works, and we'd love you to be a part of it!

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A Year of ZK Security

A year after launching, we've grown and evolved alongside the world of zero-knowledge proofs, uncovering bugs and learning the ins and outs of ZK technology. From circuit audits to developing our own tools like Circomscribe, it’s been a wild ride. We've discovered how easy it is to misstep with ZK code, especially as these systems grow complex and impact financial security. As zkVMs gain popularity, we're excited about the challenges ahead and are expanding our expertise. Want to dive into the world of ZK with us? Check out our latest projects and even take on our zkBank challenge!

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Zprize Came to an End! Who and How Did They Win $500,000?

In an exciting collaboration with ZPrize, we embarked on a journey to discover the fastest proofs for ECDSA signatures, ultimately crowning two standout approaches as winners. The blog post delves into the innovative solutions that captured the $500,000 prize by pushing the boundaries of zero-knowledge proofs. The story offers a fascinating glimpse into how these cutting-edge techniques might pave the way for privacy-focused applications. Curious to know which teams came out on top and how they did it? Dive in to explore the thrilling results and what's next in the ZK space!

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Public Report of Lighter ZK Circuits

We recently teamed up with Lighter to dive deep into their custom ZK circuits used for a verifiable orderbook matching on a Layer 2 exchange. Our findings show solid and well-structured code, thanks to their cooperative engineering team. The post gives a fascinating look into how Lighter’s ZK rollup ensures valid state transitions on Layer 1 through zero-knowledge proofs and the innovative structure of their order book matching process. It explains the roles of the main operation and exit hatch circuits, while also touching on how users can exit in emergencies. It's a great read if you're curious about how these systems maintain security and efficiency in decentralized finance.

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Partnership with StarkWare

We're teaming up with StarkWare to enhance Ethereum's scalability using an exciting tool called the EVM adapter. This innovative open-source project takes proofs from the Stone Prover and makes them verifiable on Ethereum, showcasing the power of Cairo bootloader programs for Layer 2 scaling. By diving into our collaboration, you'll get a glimpse of StarkNet's ability to streamline transactions efficiently and how our joint efforts are driving this tech forward. Plus, our Stark Book offers a deeper technical dive for the curious minds!

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