Zero Knowledge

In this 400th episode, Anna Rose welcomes back Dan Boneh, professor of computer science and electrical engineering at Stanford University, for a wide-ranging conversation on quantum computing, post-quantum cryptography, and the evolving role of ZK.

They discuss Google's recent quantum algorithm announcement—what the paper actually showed, why it was proven in zero knowledge, and the cryptographic ideas embedded in the work. Dan shares his perspective on quantum timelines, the risks of rushing the post-quantum transition, and why algebraic signatures deserve more attention than hash-based ones in the blockchain world.

The conversation covers hybrid signature schemes, the web's quiet transition to post-quantum cryptography, and the intersection of AI and ZK. Dan also highlights witness encryption, explains why encrypted mempools are generating new research questions, and closes with an update on the Ethereum Foundation's Proximity Prize.

Related Links
Episode 100 with Dan Boneh
Episode 256 with Dan Boneh
Episode 345 with Dan Boneh
Lean Ethereum Series
Lattices with Vadim Lyubashevsky
Project 11 on Bitcoin's Post-Quantum Migration
ZK Security and AI Auditors
Acorn and Lean
Proximity Prize Survey Paper (ePrint)
Google Quantum Paper
Oratomic (Neutral Atoms Startup)
Proximity Prize








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In this episode, Anna is joined by co-hosts Guillermo Angeris, Nico Mohnblatt, and Tarun Chitra for a reunion on this 399th episode. They reflect on how they each joined the show and how both the podcast and the ZK space have evolved over time, before diving into discussion on whether ZK is ‘dead’ or simply maturing. They explore its shift from niche research to hype-driven narrative to becoming a widely used but increasingly invisible piece of infrastructure. They go on to discuss the changing landscape of ZK companies, the explosion of new applications, and the trend of teams using ZK as an implicit primitive rather than a headline feature. The episode closes with a broader reflection on decentralisation, usability, and what the next phase of ZK adoption might look like.


Related Links

Building Private AMMs with Guillermo Angeris
2021 < 2022 with Co-hosts & Friends
Statistical modeling with PoS systems with Tarun Chitra
Proof of Necessary Work with Akis Kattis (NYU)
Indistinguishability Obfuscation (iO) with Huijia (Rachel) Lin 
Error Correcting Codes & Information Theory with Ron Rothblum
How ZK inspired AI Watermarking with Miranda Christ
Verifiable SQL, Reckle Trees and ZK Coprocessing with Lagrange Labs
Ethproofs, zkVM Benchmarks & the Unstoppable Rise of ZK with Justin Drake
Decentralized Storage Part 1: Looking back
Decentralized Storage Part 2: Solutions








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In this episode, Anna Rose and Nico Mohnblatt speak with Shyam Duraishwami and Emanuele Ragnoli, co-founders of Provably. They trace the origins of Provably, from early work on data ecosystems and blockchain infrastructure to the launch of their verifiable database approach, exploring how advances in cryptography and database theory enabled this shift.

The conversation dives into what a verifiable database actually is and how this contrasts with Merkle-based systems and zkVMs, explaining how Provably’s use of polynomial and vector commitments enables performance that scales with query complexity rather than dataset size, opening the door to large-scale, real-world applications.

They close with a discussion on emerging applications from proving insights over private blockchain data to enabling verifiable analytics in Web2 and multi-agent systems—and the broader implications for data integrity in an increasingly data-rich world.


Related Links

Tavloid: towards Simple Verifiable Spreadsheets and Databases by Campanelli
Linear-map Vector Commitments and their Practical Applications by Campanelli, Nitulescu, Ràfols, Zacharakis and Zapico 
qedb: Expressive and Modular Verifiable Databases (without SNARKs) by Botta, Bottoni, Campanelli, Ragnoli and Trombetta
Midnight Network
Hyperledger Fabric








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**If you like what we do:**

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**Support the show:**

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In this episode, Anna Rose and Guillermo Angeris catch up with Dev Ojha, co-founder of Osmosis and longtime ZK researcher. They revisit the story of Osmosis since its 2021 launch as a key Cosmos DEX, its role in early IBC adoption, the DeFi summer surge, the Terra collapse fallout, and the later pivot by the team toward privacy-focused cross-chain tools.

The conversation then turns to Dev’s return to privacy tech, focusing on Zcash. They explore ongoing challenges like shielded sync, nullifier bloat, and scaling shielded transactions, along with proposed solutions involving private information retrieval (PIR), oblivious synchronization, evolving nullifiers, recursive SNARKs, faster block times with pre-confirmation ideas, and paths toward post-quantum recoverability.

They wrap-up with a discussion about the need for further zkVM optimization and his vision for a more private future. 


Related Links

Osmosis
Zcash
Namada
Fractal: Post-Quantum and Transparent Recursive Proofs from Holography
Tachyon: Scaling Zcash with Oblivious Synchronization
IBC Protocol
Private Information Retrieval (PIR)
Arkworks




Related Previous ZK Episodes

Sean Bowe on Tachyon and the Evolution of Zcash








Applications to attend the zkSummit14 on May 7 in Rome are open! This edition has limited spots — we recommend applying early at www.zksummit.com



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https://youtu.be/9u4fu7TiZCA

In this episode, Nico Mohnblatt speaks with Alex Hicks from the Ethereum Foundation about formal verification and its role in the lean Ethereum vision. This is the 6th and final episode of the lean Ethereum mini-series. Nico and Alex explore what it means to produce machine-checked proofs across the ZK stack, from RISC-V and zkVMs to circuits, compilers, and cryptographic primitives, and how these pieces connect in practice.

The conversation also covers Alex’s path from physics and math into the ZK space, how the EF effort took shape, and the community push to formally verify the entire stack using proof assistants like Lean. They discuss efforts to formalize zkVM components, the tradeoffs between proof assistants and automated solvers, and what real progress looks like after a year and a half of focused work.


Related Links

lean Ethereum Part 1: Introduction with Justin Drake
lean Ethereum Part 2: PQ Signatures and Poseidon with Dmitry and Benedikt
lean Ethereum Part 3: Security of PQ SNARKs and an update about the Proximity Prize
lean Ethereum Part 4: leanVM, a Custom VM for Signature Aggregation
lean Ethereum Part 5: Devnets & Upgrade Coordination with Will and Raúl
lean Ethereum
Lean Consensus R&D Progress
Lean Proof Assistant
Isabelle Proof Assistant
Ethereum Foundation








Applications to attend the zkSummit14 on May 7 in Rome, Italy are open! This edition will be more intimate with limited spots — we recommend applying early at www.zksummit.com



zkMesh+ live! Subscribe for zkMesh+ and catch the latest State of ZK 2025 report.







**If you like what we do:**

* Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree
* Subscribe to our podcast newsletter
* Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm
* Join us on Telegram
* Catch us on YouTube



**Support the show:**

* Patreon
* ETH - Donation address
* BTC - Donation address
* SOL - Donation address
* ZEC - Donation address

Read transcript