Zero Knowledge Proofs on Rootstock with Noir
Introduction
Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZK proofs) represent a groundbreaking cryptographic technique that enhances privacy and security in blockchain applications. By allowing one party to prove the validity of a statement without revealing underlying data, ZK proofs enable confidential transactions, private computations, and verifiable claims on public ledgers like Rootstock. Rootstock, as the pioneering Bitcoin Layer 2 (L2) platform, combines Bitcoin's unmatched security through merged mining with Ethereum-compatible smart contracts via the EVM. This makes it an ideal environment for deploying ZK-enhanced dApps, leveraging over 60% of Bitcoin's hash power for robust protection.
Rootstock is a blockchain platform that extends the capabilities of the Bitcoin network by incorporating smart contract functionality. Built to be EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) compatible, Rootstock enables developers to deploy and execute smart contracts using the same programming languages and tools as Ethereum.
In this guide, we'll critically explore ZK proofs, introduce Noir—a domain-specific language (DSL) for writing ZK circuits—and demonstrate how to integrate them on Rootstock for improved privacy and security. We'll culminate with a hands-on demo: building a "Secret NFT Club" dApp where users can join only by proving knowledge of a secret code, without revealing it. This showcases real-world applications like exclusive access controls in NFTs, while addressing potential challenges such as computational overhead.
This tutorial assumes basic familiarity with Solidity, JavaScript, and blockchain development. Skills involved include Noir for circuit design, ZK proofs for privacy logic, and Solidity for on-chain verification.
Prerequisites
- Install Nodejs and NPM
- Code Editor
Getting Started
Install dependencies
To install dependencies, run the command npm i in the terminal or run the npm:install script.