Zero Knowledge

Latest Episodes:

Quantum Punks with Alex and Nicola May 07, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Anna and Guillermo are joined by Alex Obadia and Nicola Greco, co-authors of the Quantum Punks Manifesto, for a discussion at the intersection of quantum technology and cryptography. They explore the cultural and technical gaps between the quantum and crypto communities, sharing the story behind the manifesto, their vision for bridging these worlds and the applications that such a combination could unlock. Related links:

Further reading:

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zkSummit13 happens next week! Buy your ticket now at www.zksummit.com.

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Missing Link are a talent team built for the Web3 era, helping projects across the ecosystem connect with the right candidates at the right time.

Whether you're an established project or a startup searching for specialized talent, Missing Link can help. Visit their website at missing-link.io.

--------------- **If you like what we do:** * Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree * Subscribe to our podcast newsletter * Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm * Join us on Telegram * Catch us on YouTube Read transcript

Lattice-based ZK Systems with Vadim Lyubashevsky Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Anna and Nico speak with Vadim Lyubashevsky, research scientist at IBM Research, about the evolving field of lattice-based cryptography and its role in zero-knowledge systems. Vadim shares the history and mathematical foundations of lattices, and explains how they might be used to build post-quantum secure ZK proofs and SNARKs. The conversation covers the unique challenges of adapting lattice techniques to zero-knowledge, explores the tradeoffs relative to hash-based constructions, and highlights the importance of developing quantum-safe standards for the future of cryptography. Related links:

Spots for zkSummit13 are limited - grab your ticket at www.zksummit.com!

Missing Link are a talent team built for the Web3 era, helping projects across the ecosystem connect with the right candidates at the right time. Whether you're an established project or a startup searching for specialized talent, Missing Link can help. Visit their website at missing-link.io.

**If you like what we do:** * Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree * Subscribe to our podcast newsletter * Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm * Join us on Telegram * Catch us on YouTube Read transcript

Building ZK Registries Onchain with Rarimo Apr 23, 2025

Show notes

This week, Anna speaks with Lasha Antadze, co-founder of Rarilabs and Rarimo, about the evolution of digital identity systems. Lasha shares his journey from working with government eID systems to building decentralized identity solutions using zero-knowledge proofs. The conversation explores how Rarimo is taking a fundamentally different approach to identity verification by keeping all processing client-side, from passport scanning to biometric verification. This enables new use cases like censorship-resistant voting systems and privacy-preserving account recovery, while avoiding the traditional pitfalls of centralized identity providers. The discussion also covers the challenges of building trust in cryptographic systems, the potential applications of client-side ZK proofs for AI governance, and how Rarimo is working to make identity tools that are both powerful and accessible to everyday users. This episode provides a fascinating look at how zero-knowledge proofs are reshaping our understanding of digital identity and privacy. Further reading:

Spots for zkSummit13 are limited - grab your ticket at www.zksummit.com! Missing Link are a talent team built for the Web3 era, helping projects across the ecosystem connect with the right candidates at the right time. Whether you're an established project or a startup searching for specialized talent, Missing Link can help. Visit their website at missing-link.io. **If you like what we do:** * Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree * Subscribe to our podcast newsletter * Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm * Join us on Telegram * Catch us on YouTube Read transcript

Quantum Engineering with Jelena Vučković Apr 16, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Anna and Guillermo speak with Professor Jelena Vučković from Stanford's Nanoscale and Quantum Photonics Lab about the fascinating world of quantum engineering. Jelena explains different quantum technology platforms and how quantum entanglement serves as the foundation for various applications such as eavesdropping detection. They explore how researchers are developing chip-scale quantum systems and the significant implications these technologies have for secure communication and cryptography. Related links:

Spots for zkSummit13 are limited - grab your ticket at www.zksummit.com Missing Link are a talent team built for the Web3 era, helping projects across the ecosystem connect with the right candidates at the right time. Whether you're an established project or a startup searching for specialized talent, Missing Link can help. Visit their website at missing-link.io. **If you like what we do:** * Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree * Subscribe to our podcast newsletter * Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm * Join us on Telegram * Catch us on YouTube Read transcript

ZK Benchmarks with Conner Swann Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

In this episode Anna explores the contentious topic of ZK benchmarking with Conner Swann, founder of ProofLab. Drawing parallels with AI's development, they explore how tools like ProofLab could help standardize benchmarking across dimensions like speed, cost, and security. The conversation touches on the importance of formal verification and real-world workload testing, while considering how better benchmarking could accelerate ZK adoption and potentially lead to ZK's own 'ChatGPT moment' Related links:

Further reading:

Applications for zkSummit13 are open, spots are limited for this edition so apply soon (www.zksummit.com) if you want to join. ZK is finally easy with Noir, the fastest-growing zero-knowledge programming language. Build privacy-preserving apps without any ZK experience. Aztec Labs is running a 4 week program, Noir Hack, with $200K in funding and grants. Sign up now at noirhack.com. **If you like what we do:** * Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree * Subscribe to our podcast newsletter * Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm * Join us on Telegram * Catch us on YouTube Read transcript

Coordinating Provers with Norbert from ZkCloud Apr 02, 2025

Show notes

In this episode Anna dives back into the topic of prover networks & prover marketplaces with Norbert Vadas, Head of Product at ZkCloud. They kick off by mapping out different actors in the ZK supply chain, and then cover the variety of approaches and economic models behind prover marketplaces. They explore the ZkCloud system before diving into Norbert’s perspective on the future of large-scale, industrial-grade ZK proving and what that will unlock. Related links:

Applications for zkSummit13 are now open, early bird tickets close this week! Apply now at www.zksummit.com. ZK is finally easy with Noir, the fastest-growing zero-knowledge programming language. Build privacy-preserving apps without any ZK experience. Aztec Labs is running a 4 week program, Noir Hack, with $200K in funding and grants. Sign up now at noirhack.com. **If you like what we do:** * Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree * Subscribe to our podcast newsletter * Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm * Join us on Telegram * Catch us on YouTube Read transcript

The Founding of Zero Knowledge Systems with Austin Hill Mar 25, 2025

Show notes

This week, we present the third installment in the Zero Knowledge Systems story. In this episode, Anna chats with Austin Hill, one of the original founders of Zero Knowledge Systems. They explore the company’s early days, Austin’s background in tech, and what this scene in Montreal was like in the late ’90s. The conversation covers fundraising during the dot-com boom, Zero Knowledge Systems’s ambitious vision for internet privacy, its flagship product Freedom, and how the company pivoted from a broad individual privacy mission to a more focused B2B approach. They cover Austin’s journey after ZKS—including how he discovered Bitcoin, co-founded Blockstream, and navigated the challenges of building a business around open-source infrastructure. He also discusses a new project he's involved in, which ventures into a completely different field—material nanotechnology. We encourage you to check out the first two episodes of the series here and here before diving into this one. Related links:

Further reading:

Applications for zkSummit13 are open, spots are limited for this edition so apply soon (www.zksummit.com) if you want to join. **If you like what we do:** * Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree * Subscribe to our podcast newsletter * Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm * Join us on Telegram * Catch us on YouTube Read transcript

Making ZK More Human with ZK Email Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

This week Anna catches up with Aayush Gupta from ZK Email, covering the latest developments and real-world applications of the ZK Email protocol. They explore how the project serves as a bridge between Web2 systems and Web3 infrastructure and go on to discuss use cases like wallet-based account recovery, anonymous reputation-based communication, and digital provenance verification. This was an exploration of novel ZK use cases, which is something we love to cover - so we hope you enjoy it! Related links:

Applications for zkSummit13 are open, spots are limited for this edition so apply soon (www.zksummit.com) if you want to join. Missing Link are a talent team built for the Web3 era, helping projects across the ecosystem connect with the right candidates at the right time. Whether you're an established project or a startup searching for specialized talent, Missing Link can help. Visit their website at missing-link.io. **If you like what we do:** * Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree * Subscribe to our podcast newsletter * Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm * Join us on Telegram * Catch us on YouTube Read transcript

Learning ZK with Jeffrey from RareSkills Mar 12, 2025

Show notes

This week Anna chats with Jeffrey Scholz, founder of RareSkills. They discuss onboarding developers into ZK and dive into RareSkills' education program via The ZK Book and their ZK bootcamps. They explore strategies for breaking down complex topics, decisions on curriculum design, tool selection, and methodologies for enabling self-sufficient learning. A great listen for the listeners who want to learn ZK and are trying to figure out how to approach the challenge. Related links:

Applications for zkSummit13 are now open, spots are limited for this edition so apply soon (www.zksummit.com) if you want to join. Missing Link are a talent team built for the Web3 era, helping projects across the ecosystem connect with the right candidates at the right time. Whether you're an established project or a startup searching for specialized talent, Missing Link can help. Visit their website at missing-link.io. **If you like what we do:** * Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree * Subscribe to our podcast newsletter * Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm * Join us on Telegram * Catch us on YouTube Read transcript

Zero Knowledge Systems, Privacy and Security with Jonathan Wilkins Mar 05, 2025

Show notes

This week Anna jumps back into the story of Zero Knowledge Systems with Jonathan Wilkins, cofounder Blockstream and Cloaked Services and previous employee of ZKS back in 2000. They explore the emergence of security culture in the 1990s, what led Jonathan to join Zero Knowledge Systems and his experience working on projects such as the Freedom Network. They discuss the office atmosphere and the research lab before catching up on the work Jonathan has focused on since then. Key concepts we see in the ZK community today were first pioneered by the Zero Knowledge Systems research team and we hope to invite more of these past members of the team in the future! Related links:

Podcast Episode: Back to the Future with Zero Knowledge
iSEC Partners
X.25 Networks
2600 Meetups
C++ Builder
Delphi
‘Zero-Knowledge: Nothing Personal’ - Wired
Handbook of Applied Cryptography by Alfred J. Menezes, Paul C. van Oorschot and Scott A. Vanstone
Ian Goldberg profile
Adam Schostack - Schostack + Associates
Adam Back Twitter
Austin Hill Twitter
Bitcointalk
Tor Network
Freedom Network excerpt by ScienceDirect

Applications for zkSummit13 are now open, spots are limited for this edition so apply soon (www.zksummit.com) if you want to join. **If you like what we do:** * Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree * Subscribe to our podcast newsletter * Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm * Join us on Telegram * Catch us on YouTube Read transcript

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