A long time ago, in a distant village, there lived a little girl named Alice. Alice loved adventure very much. One day, when she was playing in the forest, she found a mysterious cave. Curiosity drove Alice into the cave. It was very dark in the cave, and Alice could only grope forward. Suddenly, she saw a door in front of her with a big lock on it. Alice tried, but the door could not be opened. At this time, a voice came from behind the door: "If you can prove that you are honest, I will open the door and let you in."
Alice wanted to know what was behind the door, so she asked: "How can I prove that I am honest?" The person behind the door said: "You need to answer me a question. Only honest people know the answer to this question." Alice thought about it and said: "Okay, please ask." The person behind the door asked: "What is the most beautiful flower in the forest?" Alice thought about it and said: "I think it is a rose. Roses are not only beautiful, but also fragrant." The person behind the door was silent for a while, then said: "You are right. The door is open."
As soon as the door opened, Alice saw a magical world. In this world, everyone has different secrets, but they can use a technology called "zk zero-knowledge proof" to prove their secrets without revealing the content of the secret.
Analysis of zk zero-knowledge proof
In this story, Alice is the prover and the person behind the door is the verifier. If Alice wants to enter the world behind the door, she needs to prove to the verifier that she is honest. Alice knows what the most beautiful flower in the forest is, which is a secret. But she can't tell the verifier the secret directly, because that would reveal the secret. So Alice used zk zero-knowledge proof technology. She only told the verifier the answer to a question related to the secret, but did not reveal any information about the secret itself. The verifier can determine whether Alice knows the answer to the secret through the answer provided by Alice. If Alice is indeed honest, the verifier will believe that she knows the secret and allow her to enter the world behind the door.
Application of zk zero-knowledge proof in blockchain
In blockchain technology, zk zero-knowledge proof (Zero Knowledge Proof, abbreviated as ZKP) is a very important technology. It allows one party (the prover) to prove to another party (the verifier) that a statement is correct without revealing any specific information. The following are some specific zk projects and their corresponding abbreviations:
Zcash (ZEC): A cryptocurrency that uses zk-SNARK technology to achieve privacy protection.
StarkNet (STARK): A general programmable zk Rollup based on zk-STARK technology.
Loopring (LRC): zk Rollup based on zk-SNARK technology.
zkSync (ZK): zk Rollup based on zk-SNARK technology.
Polygon zkEVM (MATIC): zk Rollup based on zk-EVM technology, compatible with Ethereum smart contracts.
Scroll (SCRL): zk Rollup based on zk-SNARK technology.
Types of zk networks
zk networks are mainly divided into the following types:
Layer 1: For example, Ethereum, Bitcoin, etc., with strong decentralization and security, but slow transaction speed and high fees.
Layer 2: For example, zk Rollup, using zero-knowledge proof technology to compress transaction data, increase transaction speed and reduce fees.
Testnet: A copy of the blockchain network used to test, does not contain real funds, and can be used by developers to test new features and fix bugs.
Through these stories and practical applications, everyone can better understand the principles and application scenarios of zk zero-knowledge proof technology. This technology is not only magical in fairy tales, but also plays an important role in blockchain technology in the real world.