Minimizing Trust, Maximizing Truth

The Architecture of Verifiable Secrets

by particle

Note: This book is a work in progress. If you find mistakes, typos, or have suggestions for improvements, please open a pull request or issue. Contributions are welcome!

This book teaches you how to build zero-knowledge proofs from the ground up.

Zero-knowledge proofs represent one of the most remarkable achievements in cryptography: the ability to prove that a statement is true without revealing anything beyond its truth. They enable a world where verification replaces trust, where privacy and transparency coexist, and where mathematical certainty can be achieved without exposing the underlying data.

What You’ll Learn

This book takes you from foundational concepts to cutting-edge constructions:

• Foundations: The trust problem, polynomial magic, and the sum-check protocol
• Core Protocols: GKR, polynomial commitments, and hash-based constructions
• SNARK Systems: Groth16, PLONK, and STARKs explained in depth
• Zero-Knowledge: How to add privacy to proof systems
• Advanced Topics: Recursion, composition, and practical considerations

Prerequisites

This book assumes familiarity with:

• Finite field algebra
• Elliptic curve cryptography
• Basic concepts of cryptography

Let’s begin by understanding why we need zero-knowledge proofs in the first place.