Demystifying the Role of zk-SNARKs in Zcash

Authors :: Michael Clear
Aritra Banerjee
Hitesh Tewari
Source :: 2020 IEEE Conference on Application, Information and Network Security (AINS).
Publication Year :: 2020
Publisher :: IEEE, 2020.
Abstract: Zero-knowledge proofs have always provided a clear solution when it comes to conveying information from a prover to a verifier or vice versa without revealing essential information about the process. Advancements in zero-knowledge have helped develop proofs which are succinct and provide non-interactive arguments of knowledge along with maintaining the zero-knowledge criteria. zk-SNARKs (Zero knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge) are one such method that outshines itself when it comes to advancement of zero-knowledge proofs. The underlying principle of the Zcash algorithm is such that it delivers a full-fledged ledger-based digital currency with strong privacy guarantees and the root of ensuring privacy lies fully on the construction of a proper zk-SNARK. In this paper we elaborate and construct a concrete zk-SNARK proof from scratch and explain its role in the Zcash algorithm.<br />Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures

Subjects :: FOS: Computer and information sciences
Root (linguistics)
Computer Science - Cryptography and Security
Theoretical computer science
Computer science
Argument
Process (engineering)
Digital currency
Construct (python library)
Zero-knowledge proof
Gas meter prover
Mathematical proof
Cryptography and Security (cs.CR)

Database :: OpenAIRE
Journal :: 2020 IEEE Conference on Application, Information and Network Security (AINS)
Accession number :: edsair.doi.dedup.....2f9611d89a35b6a4aa337e9041d33986
Full Text :: https://doi.org/10.1109/ains50155.2020.9315064