ZK proofs can change not only Web3, but also the Internet – Aleo Executive

According to a cryptocurrency executive, zero-knowledge proofs can be used to solve the “biggest problem” plaguing the internet today – privacy.

Speaking with Cointelegraph at the Ethereum Community Conference (EthCC), Brennan Schlueter, Head of Marketing at privacy-focused infrastructure platform Eleo, said that while ZK Proofs have become a popular solution to provide the blockchain with improved scalability through ZK Rollup , they have the potential to reshape the entire Internet.

ZK Proof enables the transfer of information between two parties with the originator only needing to reveal relevant information to the recipient. For example, to prove that a person is fit to enter a bar without revealing their true age or identity to a security guard.

Schlueter said that the modern Internet was not built to prioritize the privacy of its users.

“When data needs to change hands, when data needs to be protected, we always have vulnerabilities,” Schlueter explained in reference to how easily a user’s privacy can be breached online.

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From insightful panels on ZK Proofs to discussions on growing communities, I covered it all

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According to Schlueter, ZK proofs solve this privacy problem not only for Web3 but for the entire Internet.

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“With zero-knowledge proofs, we can really start to see how to secure data from the very beginning by revealing the information that needs to be known,” he said.

“I think it largely changes the path we’re going to take with the Internet.”

ZK Proofs can make life much easier for developers and data custodians as they no longer have to choose between creating a private environment or customizing the user experience, Schlueter explained, adding:

“The way we currently structure the Internet, those two things are at war.”

Tiancheng Xie, chief technology officer at ZK-powered interoperability platform Polyhedra, told Cointelegraph that artificial intelligence tools can also benefit from the privacy and censorship-resistant properties ZK Proof provides.

“Scalable and connected,” said Tiancheng Xie, CTO of @polyhedraZK pic.twitter.com/UYSCtcQcS7

— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) 19 July 2023

Schlueter said finance, identity and gaming are other sectors benefiting from ZK proofs

He claimed that more financial institutions are looking to ZK solutions to strengthen privacy where the companies see fit.

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Additional reporting by Ziyuan Sun.