Redefining privacy: zero-knowledge proof
At its core, a zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) is a cryptographic method through which one party, the prover, can convince another party, the verifier, that a specific statement is true without revealing any information other than the truth of the statement itself. The concept was introduced in the 1980s by cryptographers Shafi Goldwasser, Silvio Micali and Charles Rackoff in their pioneering work which laid the theoretical foundation for ZKPs. A very simple way of understanding ZKP is to think of the children’s game, ‘Where’s Wally?’ Imagine you are searching for Wally with a friend. You claim to know exactly where he is in the image, but your friend is sceptical. How can you prove your knowledge without revealing Wally's location? You take a massive piece of paper, covering the entire image except for a cut-out that shows only Wally. Your friend sees Wally through the hole, confirming your claim, yet learns nothing about his exact position in the image - this simple demonstration capture…
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