zk-SNARK

zk-SNARK stands for Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-interactive ARgument of Knowledge.

zk-SNARK is the technology behind Zcash and Manta. It is a new form of “zero-knowledge cryptography” that makes all the transactions in Zcash fully encrypted on the blockchain and to ensure that the confidentiality of transaction metadata is fully preserved. It allows Zcash users to prove possession of certain information like having a secret key, without the need to reveal that information, and without any interaction between the prover and verifier.

Timeline

Further Resources

Title

Author

Link

Type

Date

Scalable, transparent, and post-quantum secure computational integrity — on transparent zk-SNARKs (zk-STARKs) as a solution to the tension between personal privacy and institutional integrity

Eli Ben-Sasson, Iddo Bentov, Yinon Horesh, and Michael Riabzev

https://eprint.iacr.org/2018/046.pdf

Succinct non-interactive zero knowledge for a von Neumann Architecture

Eli Ben-Sasson, Alessandro Chiesa, Eran Tromer, and Madars Virza

https://eprint.iacr.org/2013/879.pdf

What are zk-SNARKs?

Jay Graber

https://z.cash/technology/zksnarks.html

Zk-SNARKs: under the hood (series) — assumes basic knowledge of zk-SNARKs (zero-knowledge succinct non-interactive argument of knowledge)

Vitalik Buterin

https://medium.com/@VitalikButerin/zk-snarks-under-the-hood-b33151a013f6