Hyperledger Global Forum 2021

Zero knowledge proofs and related cryptographic primitives have been talked about more and more in the blockchain space in recent times. Techniques like NIZKs, SNARKs, STARKS, and other ZK tools have been put in to practice in more and more blockchain applications to help achieve privacy and confidentiality. But it's not always clear when and how it is appropriate to use them. In this talk, Avradip and Mike will explain the basics of zero knowledge proofs--how they work, how to use them, and what problems they can be used to solve--while keeping the underlying mathematical content at a limit that most people with a little background in computer security should be able to understand. They will also explain the concrete performance and impacts on efficiency of ZK tools using examples from Ursa. They aim to help developers know when to use ZK tools and then use them.