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matter-labs/awesome-zero-knowledge-proofs

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TLDR

A curated reading list of beginner guides, university courses, and real-world applications for zero-knowledge proofs, a cryptography technique used in blockchain privacy and scaling. No code to run, just links and explanations.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((ZK Proofs List))
    What it does
      Curated link list
      No runnable code
      Learning resource
    Topics Covered
      Beginner intros
      University courses
      Proof system compare
      Applications
    Proof Systems
      SNARKs
      STARKs
      Bulletproofs
    Applications
      Ethereum zkSync
      Privacy coins
      ML verification
      Identity proofs
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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Find beginner-friendly written introductions and video lectures on zero-knowledge proofs before starting a blockchain privacy project

USE CASE 2

Compare the main ZK proof systems, SNARKs, STARKs, and Bulletproofs, using the summary table to choose one for your use case

USE CASE 3

Discover production Ethereum projects like zkSync and privacy exchanges that already use ZK proofs in practice

USE CASE 4

Study academic MOOCs and university courses to build mathematical understanding of how ZK proofs work

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

In plain English

awesome-zero-knowledge-proofs is a curated link list covering the topic of zero-knowledge proofs, a branch of cryptography. A zero-knowledge proof is a method by which one party can prove to another that a statement is true without revealing any information beyond the truth of that statement. The concept has become important in blockchain and privacy technology, and this repository is a starting point for people who want to learn about it. The list is organized into categories: general introductions for beginners, university courses and MOOCs, real-world applications on Ethereum and other blockchains, and comparisons of the main proof systems. The introductory section links to written primers and video lectures at varying levels of technical depth, including non-mathematical explanations for readers without a cryptography background and more rigorous treatments for those who want the math. The applications section shows where zero-knowledge proofs are being used in practice. On Ethereum it lists projects like zkSync (a system for processing transactions more cheaply by bundling them), privacy-preserving exchanges, and Dark Forest (a game that uses zero-knowledge proofs to hide player positions). For other blockchains, it references Zcash and Monero as privacy-focused cryptocurrencies that use these techniques to conceal transaction details. There is also a non-blockchain section covering applications like verifying machine learning computations, email proofs, and identity documents. The proof systems covered include SNARKs, STARKs, and Bulletproofs. A comparison table in the README outlines their differences in computational complexity, proof size, and whether they require a trusted setup phase (a ceremony that must be run before the system can be used, which introduces a trust assumption). The repository is maintained by Matter Labs, the team behind zkSync. It has no runnable code and no programming language, it is a Markdown document collecting links to external resources.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I am a developer who wants to understand zero-knowledge proofs from scratch. Which resources in awesome-zero-knowledge-proofs should I start with, and in what order?
Prompt 2
Compare the three main ZK proof systems listed in awesome-zero-knowledge-proofs: what are the trade-offs between SNARKs, STARKs, and Bulletproofs in terms of proof size, speed, and trusted setup requirements?
Prompt 3
I want to build a privacy-preserving feature on Ethereum using ZK proofs. Which real-world application projects in this list are most relevant to study as examples?
Prompt 4
Explain what a trusted setup ceremony is, why it matters for SNARK-based systems, and which alternatives in the list avoid it
Prompt 5
How is zero-knowledge proof technology used outside of blockchains? List the non-blockchain applications mentioned in awesome-zero-knowledge-proofs and explain each one briefly
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