Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP)
cryptography · privacy
A cryptographic proof that convinces a verifier a statement is true without revealing the private information behind it.
A zero-knowledge proof lets a prover show that a claim or computation is valid while keeping underlying inputs hidden. The verifier learns the statement is true, not the secret data used to prove it.
ZKPs support private payments, identity checks, compressed rollup verification, and proofs of correct computation. Practical systems must choose proof types, trust assumptions, setup requirements, and performance trade-offs.
Related terms
Privacy
→The ability to transact without revealing sensitive information about identity, balances, or counterparties.
security · principle
Merkle tree
→A Merkle tree is a binary tree of hashes that enables efficient verification of large data sets, used in blockchains for transaction inclusion proofs.
cryptography · data-structure
Rollup
→A Layer-2 technique that executes transactions off-chain and posts compressed proofs or data to the base chain.
layer-2 · scalability