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Does Bitcoin Use Zk-Snark?

Since Bitcoin’s inception, one of the most common questions has been “does Bitcoin use zk-snarks?”. The answer to this question is a bit complicated and requires a bit of understanding about what zk-snarks are and how they work.

Zk-snarks, or zero-knowledge proofs, are a method of ensuring that a transaction is valid without having to reveal the underlying data. This is done by creating a mathematical proof that the data is correct without actually revealing what the data is.

Bitcoin does not use zk-snarks directly. However, the Bitcoin protocol does make use of a similar technology called Pedersen commitments.

Pedersen commitments are similar to zk-snarks in that they allow for a proof of validity to be created without revealing the underlying data.

NOTE: This warning note is to inform you that Bitcoin does not use zk-Snark. Zk-Snark stands for zero-knowledge succinct non-interactive argument of knowledge and is a cryptographic technology designed to secure privacy of data. It is used in various cryptocurrencies like Zcash, Ethereum, and Cardano, but not in Bitcoin.

The main difference between Pedersen commitments and zk-snarks is that Pedersen commitments require a trusted setup. This means that there must be a group of people who create the mathematical proof that the data is correct.

This group of people must be trusted not to reveal the data to anyone else.

Zk-snarks do not require a trusted setup. This is because the mathematical proof that is created can be verified by anyone without needing to know what the underlying data is.

This makes zk-snarks much more private and secure than Pedersen commitments.

So, while Bitcoin does not use zk-snarks directly, it does make use of a similar technology called Pedersen commitments.

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