Odaily Planet Daily reports that venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz’s A16z Crypto recently published a blog post providing technical updates on its open-source Jolt zkVM, while also pointing out the widespread misuse of the “ZK (Zero-Knowledge)” concept in the industry.
A16z states that many so-called zkVMs do not actually possess true zero-knowledge properties unless an additional, more costly “wrapping” process is performed. This process typically involves recursive proofs, where the zkVM’s proof is verified again within another proof system that genuinely has zero-knowledge features. This not only increases computational costs but often requires a “trusted setup,” thereby sacrificing system transparency.
The article notes that in many developer contexts, “zk” has gradually become a shorthand for “succinctness,” meaning small proof size and fast verification, rather than true zero-knowledge privacy protection.
A16z believes that as the industry’s demand for privacy increases, this conceptual confusion is becoming a problem. Genuine zero-knowledge proofs should primarily focus on protecting the privacy of the prover’s sensitive data, not just providing efficient verification mechanisms.
Meanwhile, A16z also announced the introduction of the NovaBlindFold folding scheme for Jolt zkVM to enhance its privacy capabilities, making the virtual machine more suitable for privacy-focused applications.
Disclaimer: The information on this page may come from third parties and does not represent the views or opinions of Gate. The content displayed on this page is for reference only and does not constitute any financial, investment, or legal advice. Gate does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information and shall not be liable for any losses arising from the use of this information. Virtual asset investments carry high risks and are subject to significant price volatility. You may lose all of your invested principal. Please fully understand the relevant risks and make prudent decisions based on your own financial situation and risk tolerance. For details, please refer to
Disclaimer.
Related Articles
Aster Mainnet Goes Live with Block Explorer Launch
Gate News bot message, Aster has launched its mainnet. A block explorer is now live on its website.
The largest $ASTER long position on Hyperliquid holds 25.93M $ASTER valued at $20.4M, currently up $3.9M.
GateNews2m ago
Arbitrum Releases 2025 Transparency Report: Cumulative Transaction Volume Exceeds 2.1 Billion, Total Value Locked at Approximately $20 Billion
Arbitrum Foundation has released the 2025 Transparency Report, showing that traditional finance is accelerating its on-chain business deployment. The ecosystem now includes 189 collaborative projects, with a transaction volume exceeding 2.1 billion transactions and a total value locked of approximately $20 billion. The on-chain RWA scale has surpassed $800 million. At the same time, the foundation is promoting infrastructure upgrades and revenue growth.
GateNews4m ago
Tokenization platform Theo launches gold-related yield-bearing stablecoin thUSD
Gate News: On March 17, tokenization platform Theo announced the launch of thUSD, a yield-bearing stablecoin backed by gold, and opened a liquidity pool with a maximum capacity of $100 million. The stablecoin is backed by thGOLD, its issued gold token, and generates yield through a cash and carry arbitrage strategy that holds spot gold exposure while shorting gold futures. Previously, Theo raised $15.5 million in funding led by Hack VC and Anthos Capital.
GateNews4m ago
Sharplink staking rewards last week: 493 ETH, with cumulative staking rewards reaching 15,464 ETH
Gate News reported that on March 17, Sharplink announced that since launching its Ethereum vault, it has accumulated 15,464 ETH in staking rewards through staking, valued at approximately $36 million at current prices. Sharplink stated that it earned over 493 ETH through staking last week, generating approximately $1.1 million in returns. The project stated that its held ETH will continue to generate more ETH through staking.
GateNews10m ago
Ripple Expands Digital Asset Business in Brazil, Plans to Apply for Virtual Asset Service Provider License
Ripple announced plans to expand digital asset services in Brazil, with plans to apply for a virtual asset service provider license, and has already connected with multiple local institutions to its network, including Banco Genial and Braza Bank, to promote dollar transfers and stablecoin issuance.
GateNews19m ago
Orbs Unveils Agentic Layer for Autonomous DeFi Trading
Orbs has introduced a new execution layer to enable secure, automated trading for AI-driven DeFi agents. The system emphasizes verification, safety, and institutional-grade execution standards as automation accelerates across crypto markets.
New Orbs Layer Targets Safer AI-Driven DeFi Trading
Orb
Coinpedia24m ago