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What *isn't* a zero-knowledge proof?
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Why are so many “ZK proofs” not actually zero knowledge? a16z crypto research partner Justin Thaler explains how “ZK” has become shorthand for a much broader family of succinct proofs — even when privacy isn’t required. For blockchain scaling, the goal may simply be proving that computation happened correctly without forcing every node to repeat the work. But for applications like private payments, actual zero knowledge matters. And looking ahead, privacy may become important again — while advances in cryptography could make zero knowledge increasingly come “for free.” Links Justin Thaler: Tim Roughgarden: Shafi Goldwasser:
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Analysis last updated August 22, 2026 · Read the methodologyRead the creator’s original video description
Why are so many “ZK proofs” not actually zero knowledge? a16z crypto research partner Justin Thaler explains how “ZK” has become shorthand for a much broader family of succinct proofs — even when privacy isn’t required. For blockchain scaling, the goal may simply be proving that computation happened correctly without forcing every node to repeat the work. But for applications like private payments, actual zero knowledge matters. And looking ahead, privacy may become important again — while advances in cryptography could make zero knowledge increasingly come “for free.” Links Justin Thaler: Tim Roughgarden: Shafi Goldwasser: