Zero-Knowledge Proofs 101: Verifiable Privacy for Developers

What is ZK?

Zero-Knowledge Proofs allow one party to prove knowledge of a value without revealing it.

Simple Analogy: Where’s Waldo ZK-style

You prove you found Waldo on the page without showing where.

ZK Waldo

Why it Matters for Web3

• Private Transactions (e.g. Zcash)
• Anonymous Voting
• Scalability via zkRollups

Sample ZK Circuit (with Circom)

circomCopy
// Circuit: prove you know x such that x * x = y
pragma circom 2.0.0;
template SquareCheck() {
    signal input x;
    signal input y;
    signal output valid;
    valid <== x * x === y;
}
component main = SquareCheck();

Tools You Can Try

• Circom
• SnarkJS
• zkSync

TL;DR

ZK is a game-changer. Start small, try building ZK identity proofs or even a private poll system.