On October 10, 2025, at 7:04 AM (Japan Time), with the rapid development of blockchain and privacy computing, Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKP) have become a hot topic in the technology field. ZKP is a cryptographic technique that allows one party (the prover) to prove to another party (the verifier) that a statement is true without revealing any information other than the fact that it is true. This mechanism is widely used in blockchain, smart contracts, and data privacy protection, with representative projects such as Boundless and zkEVM promoting its adoption. This analysis will start from the principles, combining advantages and disadvantages, to comprehensively explore the potential and challenges of ZKP.
Principle: How to achieve 'proving and confidentiality' at the same time.
The core of ZKP lies in verifying the authenticity of information through mathematical constructions without exposing details. Its basic principles rely on the following steps:
Interactive Proofs: The original ZKP (such as the Schnorr protocol) adopted an interactive approach. The prover and verifier interact through multiple challenge-response interactions, confirming that a statement (such as 'knows the password') is true. For example, the prover generates a random number, and the verifier checks the computation results, gradually ruling out the possibility of cheating.
Non-Interactive ZKP (zk-SNARKs and zk-STARKs): Modern applications mostly use non-interactive schemes. zk-SNARKs (Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge) utilize elliptic curves and polynomial commitments to generate a compact proof (hundreds of bytes), and verification requires only millisecond-level computation. zk-STARKs, on the other hand, are based on hash functions, abandoning key dependencies, enhancing quantum resistance but resulting in larger proof sizes.
Mathematical Foundation: ZKP relies on difficult problems (such as discrete logarithm problems or polynomial root-finding). The prover constructs polynomial equations, and the verifier confirms the outcome by checking the properties of the polynomial without needing to uncover specific values. For example, zk-SNARKs turn computations into polynomial equations, with the prover providing a commitment to the 'hidden solution', and the verifier merely checks consistency.
Application Process: In blockchain, ZKP is used for private transactions (such as Zcash) or rollups (like zkRollup). Users submit transactions, ZKP generates proofs, and on-chain nodes only verify the validity of the proofs without needing to disclose input or output. For example, Boundless's zkVM transforms program execution into ZKP, with developers only needing to submit results, and the verifier confirming the correctness of the computation.
The innovation of ZKP lies in combining 'verifiability' with 'privacy', achieving efficient and secure verification through cryptographic commitments and randomness.
Advantages: Why ZKP is attracting attention.
ZKP shows significant advantages in both technology and application layers:
Privacy Protection: No need to expose raw data, suitable for sensitive scenarios. For instance, Zcash hides transaction amounts, and Boundless supports anonymous DeFi, complying with regulations like GDPR, reducing the risk of data breaches.
Scalability: Through ZKP, blockchains can 'outsource' computations to off-chain, with only the proofs being verified on-chain, significantly reducing gas fees. For example, zkRollup increases Ethereum's throughput to thousands of transactions per second, far exceeding Layer 1.
Interoperability: ZKP supports cross-chain verification, such as Boundless's Wormhole bridge, breaking down silos between chains to achieve asset and data sharing.
Security: Based on mathematical problems, resistant to quantum attacks (especially prominent in zk-STARKs). As quantum computing threats intensify in 2025, the robustness of ZKP becomes a competitive advantage.
Generality: zkVM (such as RISC Zero) supports the verification of any program, applicable to everything from AI models to game logic, with strong scalability.
These advantages make ZKP the 'holy grail' of blockchain, driving Web3's transformation from performance bottlenecks to a privacy economy.
Disadvantages: Technical and Real-World Limitations.
Despite its enormous potential, ZKP also faces significant challenges:
High Computational Cost: Generating proofs requires significant computational resources, zk-SNARKs rely on trusted setups, and zk-STARKs have large proof sizes (in MB), limiting their use on mobile devices. For instance, the Boundless testnet's proof generation takes several minutes, requiring high-performance GPUs.
Complexity: Developing ZKP applications requires deep cryptographic knowledge, and the learning curve for Rust or Circom languages is steep. Developer feedback indicates that debugging errors (such as polynomial mismatches) takes a long time.
Dependency: zk-SNARKs require trusted initialization (such as MPC ceremonies). If the keys are leaked, security is compromised. zk-STARKs do not have this issue, but the verification cost grows linearly with the amount of data.
Regulatory Risks: ZKP may be used for anonymous crimes (such as money laundering), and in 2025, the EU plans to impose limits on ZKP transactions, affecting the promotion of legitimate applications.
Slow Adoption: Despite the technology being mature, the ecosystem is still in its early stages. The TVL and user base are far below that of traditional chains, education costs are high, and community acceptance will take time.
These disadvantages indicate that while ZKP is innovative, it requires technical optimization and policy support for large-scale implementation.
Conclusion: ZKP, the key to the future of privacy and efficiency.
Zero-knowledge proofs achieve the dream of 'proving and confidentiality' through mathematical magic. Its principles are based on interactive verification and cryptographic problems, with applications ranging from private transactions to cross-chain computations being ubiquitous. Advantages include privacy, scalability, and security, while disadvantages include costs, complexity, and regulatory pressure. In 2025, projects like Boundless are promoting the practical use of ZKP through zkVM and PoVW mechanisms, but success still requires overcoming technical barriers and market acceptance. If you are interested in blockchain privacy or high-performance computing, ZKP is worth attention—but please study its implementation details and risks thoroughly. In the future, ZKP may reshape digital trust and usher in an era of boundaryless computing. @Boundless
