Prove anything without revealing anything. STARK-based proofs with no trusted setup, no elliptic curve assumptions, and no quantum vulnerability. Combined with post-quantum signatures for complete attestation -- not just proof of computation, but proof of who, when, and under what authority.
A zero-knowledge proof allows one party to convince another that a statement is true without revealing any information beyond the truth of the statement itself. This is not an analogy or a simplification -- it is a precise mathematical property called zero-knowledge, defined formally by Goldwasser, Micali, and Rackoff in 1985.
In practical terms: you can prove you are over 21 without revealing your birth date. You can prove you have sufficient funds for a transaction without revealing your balance. You can prove a computation was performed correctly without revealing the inputs. You can prove an AI model produced a specific output without revealing the model weights. The verifier learns exactly one bit of information: the statement is true.
Zero-knowledge proofs are characterized by three properties. Completeness: if the statement is true, an honest prover can convince the verifier. Soundness: if the statement is false, no cheating prover can convince the verifier (except with negligible probability). Zero-knowledge: the verifier learns nothing beyond the truth of the statement.
The two dominant families of zero-knowledge proofs are SNARKs (Succinct Non-interactive Arguments of Knowledge) and STARKs (Scalable Transparent Arguments of Knowledge). Both allow non-interactive proofs of computational integrity, but they make fundamentally different tradeoffs.
SNARKs produce smaller proofs (typically 128-288 bytes) and verify faster. However, most SNARK constructions require a trusted setup ceremony -- a one-time generation of cryptographic parameters that, if compromised, allows the creation of false proofs. SNARKs also rely on elliptic curve pairings, which are vulnerable to quantum attack via Shor's algorithm.
STARKs require no trusted setup. Their security rests entirely on collision-resistant hash functions, which are believed to be post-quantum secure. STARKs produce larger proofs than SNARKs, but they scale logarithmically with computation size (a computation that is 1000x larger produces a proof that is only about 3x larger). STARKs are also faster to prove for large computations.
H33 uses STARKs exclusively. The reasoning is straightforward: trusted setup ceremonies are a systemic risk for production infrastructure, and elliptic curve assumptions create quantum vulnerability. For an infrastructure layer that handles authentication, governance, and compliance evidence, these risks are not acceptable. The larger proof size is mitigated by H33-74 distillation and Cachee-backed proof caching.
This is where H33's approach diverges from most ZK infrastructure providers. A zero-knowledge proof demonstrates that a computation was performed correctly. It does not tell you who performed it. It does not tell you when. It does not bind the proof to a governance context, a policy version, or an authority scope. A ZK proof is computational integrity without identity, without time, and without authority.
Consider a KYC verification: a ZK proof can demonstrate that a person's age exceeds 21 without revealing their birth date. But who generated this proof? When? Under what regulatory authority? Is the proof still valid, or was the underlying credential revoked? A standalone ZK proof cannot answer any of these questions.
ZK-Attestation solves this by combining the STARK proof with a post-quantum signature bundle. The signature binds the proof to the prover's identity (a PQ key pair), a timestamp (from a trusted clock), the governance context (policy version, scope boundary, authority chain), and a domain separator that prevents cross-context replay. The result is a complete evidence artifact that answers all five questions: what was proved, that the proof is valid, who proved it, when, and under what authority.
H33's ZK infrastructure is built on a custom STARK engine written in pure Rust with zero external ZK library dependencies. The pipeline operates in three stages:
1. AIR Constraint Definition. The computation to be proved is expressed as an Algebraic Intermediate Representation (AIR) -- a set of polynomial constraints over an execution trace. H33's ZKP-AIR engine supports custom constraint systems for biometric verification, signature validation, compliance checks, and arbitrary business logic.
2. STARK Proof Generation. Given the execution trace and the AIR constraints, the prover generates a STARK proof. For the secp256k1 circuit (used in Proof of Life attestation), cold proof generation takes 495ms. With Cachee-backed caching, subsequent proofs for the same circuit return in 1.75ms -- a 282x speedup.
3. Verification and Attestation. The verifier checks the STARK proof in 71 microseconds. If valid, the proof is combined with a post-quantum signature (three-family bundle) to produce a ZK-Attestation receipt. This receipt is then distilled through H33-74 into a 74-byte attestation for on-chain anchoring or off-chain storage.
Prove identity attributes without revealing the identity document. A financial institution verifies that a customer meets KYC requirements. The ZK proof demonstrates compliance. The institution never sees the passport, driver's license, or social security number. The privacy layer ensures zero data exposure.
Prove that assets exceed liabilities without revealing either number. Prove that a transaction is within authorized limits without revealing the limits or the transaction amount. Prove regulatory capital adequacy without exposing the balance sheet.
Prove that a system meets specific regulatory requirements without revealing the internal implementation. A Solana privacy integration proves transaction compliance without exposing wallet contents. A healthcare system proves HIPAA compliance without revealing patient records.
Prove that an FHE computation was performed correctly without revealing the inputs or the result. This closes the trust gap in encrypted computation: not only was the data never decrypted (FHE guarantee), but the computation was performed correctly (ZK guarantee).
| Property | STARKs | SNARKs | H33 ZK-Attestation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trusted setup | None required | Required (most constructions) | None required (STARK-based) |
| Post-quantum security | Yes (hash-based) | No (elliptic curves) | Yes (STARK + PQ signatures) |
| Proof size | ~45-200 KB | ~128-288 bytes | 74 bytes (H33-74 distilled) |
| Prover time | ~500ms (cold) | ~1-5 seconds | 1.75ms (cached), 495ms (cold) |
| Verification time | ~1-5ms | ~1-3ms | 71 microseconds |
| Identity binding | No | No | Yes (PQ signature) |
| Timestamp binding | No | No | Yes (trusted clock) |
| Governance context | No | No | Yes (scope + policy version) |
| On-chain anchoring | Manual integration | Manual integration | Built-in (Bitcoin, Solana) |
| Audit replay | Proof only | Proof only | Full deterministic replay |
ZK-Attestation is the combination of computational integrity (STARK) with identity, time, and authority (PQ signatures). This is the difference between proving a fact and producing evidence.
A zero-knowledge proof allows one party to convince another that a statement is true without revealing any information beyond the truth of the statement. You can prove you are over 21 without revealing your birth date, or prove sufficient funds without revealing your balance.
STARKs require no trusted setup, are based on hash functions (post-quantum resistant), and scale logarithmically. SNARKs require a trusted setup, produce smaller proofs, but rely on elliptic curves vulnerable to quantum attack. H33 uses STARKs exclusively.
A ZK proof demonstrates correct computation but does not identify who performed it or when. ZK-Attestation adds post-quantum signatures binding the proof to identity, timestamp, and governance context -- creating complete evidence, not just computational integrity.
Cached lookup: 0.358 microseconds. Cold proof generation (secp256k1 STARK): 495ms. Cached proof: 1.75ms (282x speedup). Verification: 71 microseconds. All on Graviton4 ARM64 hardware.
Identity attributes (age, residency, accreditation), compliance state (regulatory requirements met), financial proofs (solvency, transaction validity), computation integrity (FHE correctness), and any statement expressible as algebraic constraints.
Test ZK-STARK proof generation, verification, and attestation through the live API. No trusted setup. No quantum vulnerability. 71 microsecond verification.