Comparative Study of Zero-Knowledge Proof Systems: Applications and Future Challenges

Abstract

In today's world, information security has become crucial and essential for all applications. Beyond securing data, maintaining information privacy is equally important. Zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) is a key cryptographic protocol that allows a prover to demonstrate the validity of information to a verifier without revealing the actual data. This paper explores various types of zero-knowledge proofs, including interactive and non-interactive approaches, along with different variations of non-interactive ZKPs. It provides a comparative analysis of these ZKP methods, identifying their challenges and potential future directions. Zero-knowledge proofs have a wide range of applications, including blockchain, cryptographic systems, and authentication mechanisms. While ZKP offers several advantages, it also encounters challenges such as scalability, post-quantum security, reducing proof size, and optimizing verification time, which are key areas for future enhancement.