DZK, the hardware and software co-design based platform for Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) applications, is collaborating with AMD-Xilinx to architect the field-programmable gate array (FPGA) divisions in the upcoming ZPrize competition. The project seeks to accelerate the Multi-scalar Multiplication (MSM) and Number-theoretic Transform (NTT) operations for Aleo and Polygon Technology.
Earlier this year, AMD acquired Xilinx, which pioneered and commercialized its first FPGA product in 1985. DZK will leverage this deep and long-standing expertise to enhance the implementation of logic functions and develop hardware acceleration solutions. This technological cooperation allows DZK to set up the rules and create a framework to judge the performance of all teams participating in the FPGA divisions in #ZPrize. DZK is working closely with Aleo and Polygon to ensure the outcomes of these divisions offer accelerated and more efficient solutions for their own networks.
According to the official website, ZPrize is ‘a collaborative effort across the blockchain industry that includes over 32 partners and sponsors contributing time, effort, and resources to make this initiative a success’. A range of companies, foundations, and funds -including AMD-Xilinx, Ethereum Foundation, Mina Protocol, Polkadot Pioneers Prize, Polygon, and many others, have gathered a $7m prize pool for the winning projects.
The ZPrize competition rewards the ingenuity and creativity of teams designing novel and open-source algorithms and techniques to boost the performance of zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs). ZKP is a mathematical technique to verify that a given piece of information is true, without revealing the information itself. In computing, ZKP techniques can be programmed into cryptographic algorithms to enable the verification of information provided.
In the blockchain ecosystem, ZKP methods can be applied to the design of more secure transactions, storage security, and access control, among many other use cases.
The ZPrize is the natural follow-up to the XPrize, which, according to its website, is ‘a global future-positive movement of over 1M people and rising. A trusted, proven platform for impact that leverages the power of competition to catalyze innovation and accelerate a more hopeful future by incentivizing radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity.’
Speaking about the announcement, DZK COO and VP of Engineering, Rami Akeela said that DZK is proud to be part of ZPrize, a massive effort to advance ZKP technology, and serve as architects of the FPGA divisions.
“Given the high computational cost, we believe FPGA technology can offer a unique solution to accelerate ZKP and alleviate their scalability limitation,” he says.
The ZPrize competition starts at the end of May, and will run for about 90 days. Visit the contest’s website for more information.
DZK is a holistic co-design based platform working in both hardware and software to build and promote ZKP acceleration. Its solutions target important applications that have already received a lot of attention, including (but not limited to) ZK-Rollups, and ZK bridges.
Visit DZK.org for more information