{"id":89485,"date":"2023-08-08T11:08:49","date_gmt":"2023-08-08T11:08:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/?post_type=definition&#038;p=89485"},"modified":"2023-08-08T11:10:27","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T11:10:27","slug":"zero-knowledge-stark-zkstark","status":"publish","type":"definition","link":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/zero-knowledge-stark-zkstark","title":{"rendered":"Zero-Knowledge STARK (zkSTARK)"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span id=\"what_are_zero-knowledge_starks\">What are Zero-Knowledge STARKs?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Zero-Knowledge Scalable Transparent Argument of Knowledge, or zk-STARKs, are a type of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/zero-knowledge-proof\">zero-knowledge proof<\/a> (ZKP), a revolutionary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/1770\/cryptography\">cryptographic<\/a> method where one party can prove to another that a given statement is true without revealing any other information apart from the fact that the statement is true.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s the breakdown of the zk-STARK concept:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8216;<strong>Zero-knowledge<\/strong>&#8216;\u00a0refers to the preservation of privacy;<\/li>\n<li>&#8216;<strong>Scalable<\/strong>&#8216; indicates that verification time is substantially less than the time taken for na\u00efve computations;<\/li>\n<li>&#8216;<strong>Transparent<\/strong>&#8216; reflects the lack of a trusted setup requirement;<\/li>\n<li>&#8216;<strong>Argument<\/strong>&#8216; and &#8216;<strong>knowledge<\/strong>&#8216; relate to the security and robustness of the cryptographic scheme.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The invention of zk-STARKs is credited to Eli-Ben Sasson, a professor at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"how_do_zero-knowledge_starks_work\">How Do Zero-Knowledge STARKs Work?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Zero-Knowledge STARKs work by leveraging leaner cryptography, specifically collision-resistant hash functions, to validate the truth of a statement without sharing the details behind it.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike zk-SNARKs (Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-interactive Argument of Knowledge) which rely on an initial trusted setup and are theoretically vulnerable to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/5735\/quantum-computer\">quantum computer<\/a> attacks, zk-STARKs eliminate these issues.<\/p>\n<p>Although, it\u2019s important to note that this leaner approach results in a significant disadvantage \u2013 zk-STARKs generate proofs that are typically 10 to 100 times larger than those created by zk-SNARKs, thus making them more expensive and potentially less practical for certain applications.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"history_of_zero-knowledge_starks\">History of Zero-Knowledge STARKs<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>zk-STARKs were first introduced in 2018 in a <a href=\"https:\/\/eprint.iacr.org\/2018\/046\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series of papers<\/a> by Eli-Ben Sasson, Iddo Bentov, Yinon Horesh, and Michael Riabzev.<\/p>\n<p>This came about six years after the first zk-SNARKs were <a href=\"https:\/\/alephzero.org\/blog\/fundamentals-zero-knowledge-proofs\/\" target=\"_blank\">introduced in a paper<\/a> co-authored by UC Berkeley professor Alessandro Chiesa.<\/p>\n<p>Despite their later emergence, zk-STARKs have seen increasing support and adoption, with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/32571\/ethereum-cryptocurrency\">Ethereum<\/a> Foundation even awarding a $12 million grant to STARKware, a company focusing on zk-STARK-based scaling solutions.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"advantages_and_disadvantages_of_zk-starks\">Advantages and Disadvantages of zk-STARKs<\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"su-table su-table-alternate\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Advantages of zk-STARKs<\/th>\n<th>Disadvantages of zk-STARKs<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Quantum resistance<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Unlike zk-SNARKs, zk-STARKs are resistant to attacks by quantum computers.<\/td>\n<td><strong>Large proof sizes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Proofs generated by zk-STARKs are significantly larger than those from zk-SNARKs, which can be problematic for applications with tight storage or bandwidth constraints.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>No trusted setup<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The absence of a trusted setup means that zk-STARKs are less vulnerable to certain types of attacks and misuse.<\/td>\n<td><strong>Less developed community and documentation<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Zk-STARKs, being newer, have fewer developer resources, libraries, and community support compared to zk-SNARKs.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Transparency<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>With zk-STARKs, there are no secret cryptographic parameters that could be exploited.<\/td>\n<td><strong>Higher computational cost<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Larger proof sizes mean that more computation is needed to verify each proof, which can increase the cost of transactions in certain systems.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span id=\"the_bottom_line\">The Bottom Line<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Zero-Knowledge STARKs represent a significant advancement in cryptography, providing a tool for proving the truth of statements without revealing any underlying information, enhancing both privacy and security.<\/p>\n<p>While they have their disadvantages, such as larger proof sizes and a less mature ecosystem, their unique advantages, like quantum resistance and lack of a trusted setup, make them an important tool in the field of cryptography.<\/p>\n<p>As the technology continues to mature and evolve, zk-STARKs will undoubtedly play a vital role in the development and deployment of secure, privacy-preserving systems.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What are Zero-Knowledge STARKs? 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Here&#8217;s the breakdown of the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":286474,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"definitioncat":[271,272],"class_list":["post-89485","definition","type-definition","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","definitioncat-blockchain","definitioncat-cryptocurrency"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.2 (Yoast SEO v24.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>zk-STARKs \u2013 A Popular Type of Zero-Knowledge Proofs Explained<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Zero-Knowledge Scalable Transparent Argument of Knowledge, or zk-STARK, is a type of zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) used for privacy and scaling.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta 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