zk-STARKs

zk-STARKs provide scalable, transparent cryptographic proofs that secure blockchain transactions without requiring a trusted setup.

Developed by Eli Ben-Sasson and the StarkWare team, zk-STARKs (Zero-Knowledge Scalable Transparent Arguments of Knowledge) utilize lean hash functions to achieve post-quantum security. Unlike SNARKs, they eliminate the need for a multi-party trusted setup (ceremony), relying instead on publicly verifiable randomness. This architecture allows Layer 2 engines like Starknet to batch thousands of transactions into a single proof, reducing gas costs on Ethereum while maintaining exponential scalability: as the computation grows, the verification time remains nearly constant.

https://starkware.co/stark/