A survey of SNARKs (Succinct Non-interactive Argument of Knowledge) with Justin Thaler (Georgetown University). SNARKs are an important cryptographic primitive that has many applications in web3 – from scaling blockchains to ensuring privacy. SNARKs - theorized in the 1980s and '90s - have jumped from theory to practice. Here, Justin offers an introduction, including their use in various rollup projects.

About the speaker
Justin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Georgetown University. His research interests include verifiable computing, complexity theory, and algorithms for massive data sets. In 2011, he produced the first implementation of a general-purpose interactive proof system. He is the author of a comprehensive survey on SNARKs, and a co-creator of Apache DataSketches, an open-source library of production-quality streaming algorithms. More: https://people.cs.georgetown.edu/jtha...

About a16z crypto research
a16z crypto research is a multidisciplinary lab that works closely with our portfolio companies and others toward solving the important problems in the space, and toward advancing the science and technology of the next generation of the internet.

Our researchers are technologists, scientists, cryptographers, and cryptocurrency experts, working to bridge the worlds of academic theory with industry practice, and to help shape crypto and web3 as a formal area of study. More about us: a16z.com/2022/04/21/announcing-a16z-crypto-research

More from the a16z crypto team
- Subscribe to our 'web3 weekly newsletter': a16zcrypto.substack.com
- Listen to our 'web3 with a16z' podcast: a16zcrypto.com/web3-with-a16z-podcast/
- Read more of our work: a16zcrypto.com