Publicly Verifiable Zero-Knowledge Proofs: A Practical, Powerful Leap Beyond Non-Interactive Zero-Knowledge

The project aims to develop a form of publicly verifiable zero-knowledge (PV-ZK) proofs as a robust alternative to non-interactive zero-knowledge proofs (NIZKs). While NIZKs are highly scalable proofs, as they enable public verification, they necessitate reliance on either trusted setups or heuristic assumptions, which pose a security risk. By leveraging the assumption that users behave honestly in large-scale cryptographic systems, this project proposes PV-ZKs that maintain key NIZK advantages while offering stronger, more robust security guarantees and eliminating the need for trusted setups. It explores fundamental trade-offs between security and functionality properties in an innovative way, bridging the gap between fast but weak NIZKs and more secure yet impractical alternatives. The outcome will improve the security of cryptographic protocols, benefiting privacy-preserving technologies.