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 discussed in this episode:
0:00 - Introduction
1:11 - Shifting from privacy to scalability
3:27 - ZK roll-up taxonomy and main differences between SNARKs and STARKs
8:42 - Why scalability is easier to implement than privacy solutions
17:45 - Constructing proofs efficiently in Cairo
24:54 - Starknet’s layer 2 architecture
27:34 - Built-in account abstraction
31:26 - Volition, data availability and trust assumptions
37:49 - Sequencer decentralisation and crypto regulations
46:24 - Storage proofs
49:07 - Cairo upgrades & TPS
52:18 - Council-based vs. DAO governance
1:02:22 - Future developments

Links mentioned in this episode:
Eli Ben-Sasson on Twitter: bit.ly/44tHULB
Starnet on Twitter: bit.ly/3JARB2E

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