Trusted setup

• The whole nature of a zero knowledge protocol depends on there being secret values that the prover does have full knowledge of
• "I have a proof" OK TEST WITH RANDOM INPUTS TO PROVE IT
• Simple ones don't scale at millions
• Goal is to create a proof once, and anyone can come and test against it
• This is => N = Noninteractive in sNark
• Doesn’t require a back and forth
• Input needs to be treated as random
• Parameters need to be created in a way that no one should know what they are
• Process for this is called the trusted set up
• There is a video on this - ask Porcu about this
• Circuit is the input to the trusted setup
• Software that is deterministic for how values will flow through arithmetic operations
• Circuit needs to be correct
• THIS is what gets audited
• First, need a non-circuit proof
• The thing actually makes sense (to a person?)
• Without this, we can't then make a circuit that will actually do something useful
• Then we make a circuit
• Write the spec, software
• Internal audit
• on the spec
• on the code implementing the spec
• External audit
• As above, but additional software considerations
• Then circuit is good
• Begin trusted setup
• Time can force us to start the trusted setup <2 weeks before end of audits
• Trusted setup process (help Jake (dev) to do this)
• Recruit people through some means - JV
• Scheduling them so they know what to do and when
• Download the bucket (output of the previous person setup)
• Do verification
• Perform some operation (an hour+)
• Create checksums, sign messages saying they did specific operations to make it auditable, traceable, verifiable
• Send back outputs to coordinator
• Get rid of any trace of toxic waste
• Toxic waste = residual randomness that needs to be disposed off
• Validate that the secret was applied correctly (without knowing the secret)
• Then send this on to the next person
• Get parameters
• Publish parameters
• If people don't use the same parameters, then it won't work. Consensus will agree these are the right parameters to use.