Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP)
A zero-knowledge proof lets a prover convince a verifier that a statement is true without revealing the underlying data — enabling private transactions, selective disclosure, and off-chain computation verified on-chain.
How it works conceptually
Every ZKP provides three properties: completeness (true statements verify), soundness (false statements cannot be made to verify), and zero-knowledge (the proof leaks nothing beyond the statement’s truth). Two families dominate: SNARKs — small proofs, fast verification, but most require a trusted setup — and STARKs — larger proofs, no trusted setup, post-quantum assumptions.
Because verification is cheap relative to re-execution, ZKPs unlock a unique pattern: compute off-chain, prove on-chain. That is the basis of zk-rollups (thousands of transactions compressed into one validity proof) and of zkApps on Mina, where contract state transitions are asserted and proven rather than re-executed.
Where it meets identity and compliance
ZKPs are the technology behind selective disclosure in verifiable credentials — prove you are over 18 without revealing your birthdate — and are being explored for privacy-preserving compliance: proving reserves, sanctions-screening membership, or license status without exposing the underlying records.
Related Standards
- •zk-SNARK / zk-STARK proof systems
- •W3C VC — selective disclosure via ZKP-capable formats
Further Reading
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