Watch / Scalability is Boring, Privacy is Dead: ZK-Proofs, What are They Good for?

Scalability is Boring, Privacy is Dead: ZK-Proofs, What are They Good for?

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Scalability is Boring, Privacy is Dead: ZK-Proofs, What are They Good for?

Duration: 00:25:14

Speaker: Ian Miers

Type: Talk

Expertise: Intermediate

Event: Devcon 6

Date: Oct 2022

The first mainstream uses of zero-knowledge(zk) proofs were for private payments in systems like Zcash and then scalability. In both, we hide data to improve privacy or validation costs. But private payments, unfortunately, have seen limited direct demand. And scalability needs faster proofs but not even zero-knowledge. What are practical zk proofs good for? This talk considers zk proofs + blockchains as a tool both for cryptocurrency and broader applications.
About the speakers

IM

Ian Miers

Ian Miers is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Maryland. His research focuses on solving real world security issues using cryptography. He is one of the cofounders of Aleo, Bolt Labs, and Zcash, startups commercializing his work on privacy preserving payments and smart contracts. His work has been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Wired, and The Economist. It has also been denounced in at least two op-eds.

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