Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) are interactive mathematical proofs that reveal only limited information about a statement without revealing any specific details. In other words, ZKPs allow one party (the prover) to prove to another party (the verifier) that a statement is true without revealing any underlying information about that statement. The term "zero knowledge" comes from the fact that these proofs reveal nothing beyond the fact that it's true.
ZKPs are on the bleeding edge of mathematics and cryptography. Due to recent innovations, they are being used to push forward blockchains to be private and more scalable.
This article will introduce you to the top six zero-knowledge-proof experts in the industry. These professionals have made outstanding contributions to zero-knowledge proofs and cryptography in general through research papers, workshops, books, and practical applications.
Alessandro Chiesa
Alessandro Chiesa is a UC Berkeley assistant professor and co-inventor of Zerocash, co-founder of Zcash, and co-founder of StarkWare, one of the firms developing zero-knowledge-based scalability solutions. He is currently a cryptography professor, computer science, and complexity theory. His research was cited over 1,200 times in 2020. He frequently researches on how to improve zero-knowledge technology. One such example is Zexe, a private and decentralized computation protocol that leverages single-setup SNARKs. He also worked on quantum-resistant, transparent recursive proofs, which would be particularly suitable for blockchains.
Sources:
http://people.eecs.berkeley.edu/~alexch/
Eli Ben-Sasson
Since earning a Ph.D. in Theoretical Computer Science from the Hebrew University in 2001, Eli has studied cryptographic and zero-knowledge proofs of computational integrity. He co-developed the STARK, FRI, Zerocash protocols, and the Zcash Company. Before leaving to found StarkWare, he was the Professor of C.S. at Technion for the past few years. He also held research positions at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, Harvard, and MIT.
Sources:
https://twitter.com/EliBenSasson
https://simons.berkeley.edu/people/eli-ben-sasson
Shafi Goldwasser
Shafi Goldwasser is the Director of the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing and the C. Lester Hogan Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley. She is also the RSA Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT and a professor of computer science and applied mathematics at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Goldwasser received a B.S. in applied mathematics from Carnegie Mellon University in 1979 and M.S. and Ph.D. in computer science from UC Berkeley in 1984. She is one of the authors behind "The knowledge complexity of interactive proof-systems," one of the most foundational papers published on interactive proofs. Her contributions to the area of cryptography make her one of the most cited authors in the field. She actively teaches at Weizmann Institute, MIT, UCBerkeley , and co-founded Duality Technologies.
Sources:
https://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Faculty/Homepages/goldwasser.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shafi_Goldwasser
Howard Wu
Howard Wu is the co-founder of Aleo, a blockchain that uses zero-knowledge cryptography to achieve privacy and programmability, and Dekrypt Capital, the premier blockchain investment firm for privacy-preserving protocols and early-stage ventures. Howard first became involved with Bitcoin in 2011 and contributed to cryptographic libraries used in Ethereum and Zcash. He serves as Advisor to Blockchain at Berkeley, the first university ecosystem for blockchain. He is an active researcher in Theoretical Computer Science and Computer Security, working with Professor Alessandro Chiesa, co-founder of Zcash, and Professor Dawn Song, faculty member of the Initiative for Cryptocurrencies and Contracts (IC3). Howard is an M.S. candidate in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences and received a B.A. in Applied Mathematics and B.A. in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley.
Sources:
Dan Boneh
Dan Boneh is an Israeli-American professor in applied cryptography and computer security at Stanford University. Boneh's research focuses on applications of cryptography to computer security. His work includes cryptosystems with novel properties, web security, security for mobile devices, and cryptanalysis. He is the author of over a hundred publications in the field and is a Packard and Alfred P. Sloan fellow. He is a recipient of the 2014 ACM prize and the 2013 Godel prize. In 2016, Boneh was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering for contributions to cryptography and computer security.
Sources:
https://crypto.stanford.edu/~dabo/
Ben Fisch
Ben Fisch is an assistant professor of computer science at Yale University and co-founder of Espresso Systems, a blockchain company working on configurable privacy solutions. He completed his Ph.D. at Stanford University, working with Dan Boneh in the applied cryptography research group. Ben's research primarily focuses on privacy and verifiability on the internet. He has published multiple papers on Zero Knowledge and has been cited over 1200 times.
Sources:
https://sites.google.com/site/benafisch/?pli=1
Conclusion
Zero-knowledge proofs are an important and exciting area of research in cryptography. They allow parties to prove they know something without revealing what they know. They are helpful in many areas, including voting, online advertising, and online dating. They are also used in blockchains to prove a transaction is valid without revealing information about the transacting parties. Zero-knowledge proofs are a complex and technical area of research, but they have many applications and are useful in many real-world situations. They are an exciting field of study that will have many more applications and breakthroughs in the future.
