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To better understand the Zk-SNARK protocol, it is best to first refer to the concept of zero-knowledge proof (ZKP). This concept was first proposed in theory in the 1980s and describes a method that does not require the release of information to verify the validity of a claim. In this method, a transaction party (verifier) can convince the verifier without divulging more information than its own credibility.
The Zk-SNARK protocol is one of the zero-knowledge proof-of-concept protocols in which users can prove that they have valuable information without the need for direct interaction between the prover and the verifier. Zk-SNARK stands for Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge. In most crypto projects, transactions are verified by the network itself.
In this section, we discuss some special advantages of the Zk-SNARK protocol. One of the most important advantages of this protocol is its high privacy. This protocol preserves very important information and does not require extensive communication between the two sides of the transaction. Confirmation of information in this protocol takes only a few milliseconds, which is amazing. Also, Zk-SNARKs have very good throughput and the gas rate will be lower if used.
Although the ZK-SNARK protocol appears to be a perfect project, in reality there are some challenges. For example, if a user gets access to the private key, it is possible to forge the token. This forgery can be done by providing false documents to the verifiers or fake credentials. Efforts have been made to prevent this. ZCash digital currency is one of the cryptocurrencies that uses this protocol and is specially designed to minimize token forgery. One of the other shortcomings of this protocol is the possibility of failure from quantum calculations.
Currently, the popularity of the ZK-SNARK protocol has increased greatly. Two famous digital currency projects, namely ZCASH and PIVX, use this protocol. ZCash specifically uses ZK-SNARK and this digital currency network operates on a proof-of-work algorithm, while PIVX uses proof-of-stake. Both of these projects are among the popular projects in the field of ZK-SNARK.
It should be noted that proof of zero knowledge (ZK-SNARK) is not only applicable in the field of ZK-Rollup. In the world of digital currencies, this mechanism is also used in the famous ZK-Rollup technology. ZK-Rollup has been introduced as an effective method to improve the scalability of Ethereum and increase the efficiency of processes. This method collects a number of transactions into a batch and keeps them off-chain for validation. With this, the mathematical calculations for validation are performed outside the main chain, which helps improve scalability.
Now that we are familiar with the importance and how ZK-SNARK works, in this section we will review ZK-STARK and its difference from ZK-SNARK. ZK-STARK, like ZK-SNARK, is based on zero knowledge proof, but with the difference that in this method, there is no need for random settings. This unique feature makes Stark more secure than Snark.
Currently, the ZK-SNARK protocol is mostly focused on the privatization of financial transactions in digital currencies. It is important to note that this should not be considered the only application of this protocol. In the future, it is possible to use this protocol to protect people’s privacy in online activities, such as chat or other activities. This could indicate the continuation of the use of innovative methods to protect privacy in the world of decentralized applications.
