Eli Ben-Sasson: Starknet - zk-STARKs and Cairo 1.0 upgrade

Layer 2 zero knowledge roll-ups have initially been used for achieving private transactions on blockchains. However, past simple transfers, interacting with a public smart contract posed a serious challenge. As research and technology evolved, proof construction became much more efficient, enabling zk-powered scalability. There is a variety of pros and cons for each type of proof system, but given the impending rise of qunatum computers, we have witnessed a recent migration from SNARKs to STARKs. While the former relies on trusted setups, zk-STARKs are quantum-resistant.

We were joined by Eli Ben-Sasson, co-founder of Starkware, to discuss Starknet's layer 2 architecture, as well as the upcoming update to Cairo 1.0 and how it will impact scalability performances for STARKs.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Shifting from privacy to scalability
• ZK roll-up taxonomy and main differences between SNARKs and STARKs
• Why scalability is easier to implement than privacy solutions
• Constructing proofs efficiently in Cairo
• Starknet’s layer 2 architecture
• Built-in account abstraction
• Volition, data availability and trust assumptions
• Sequencer decentralisation and crypto regulations
• Storage proofs
• Cairo upgrades & TPS
• Council-based vs. DAO governance
• Future developments

Episode links:

• Eli Ben-Sasson on Twitter
• Starknet on Twitter

This episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/502