Who should I follow to learn about Zero-Knowledge Proofs?

If you want to learn Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs), I’d follow a mix of **foundational cryptographers**, **modern protocol researchers**, and **practitioners building ZK systems**. ZK sits at the intersection of theoretical cryptography, complexity theory, and engineering, so different people are useful at different stages. ## Foundations (understand the theory) - Silvio Micali - One of the original inventors of Zero-Knowledge Proofs. Follow his work if you want the theoretical foundations: interactive proofs, computational soundness, and cryptographic primitives. [Silvio Micali | MIT CSAIL](https://www.csail.mit.edu/person/silvio-micali?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Shafi Goldwasser - Another foundational figure in ZK, complexity theory, and cryptography. Her papers are essential if you want to understand why ZK works mathematically. - Amit Sahai - Known for major theoretical contributions around zero knowledge, secure computation, and advanced cryptographic primitives. [Amit Sahai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amit_Sahai?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Salil Vadhan - Particularly valuable if you want the complexity-theory side of ZK. [Salil Vadhan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salil_Vadhan?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## SNARKs, STARKs, and modern proof systems - Alessandro Chiesa - A key person for zkSNARK theory and implementations. He co-developed important ZK systems and worked on libsnark and Zerocash. [Alessandro Chiesa | EECS at UC Berkeley](https://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Faculty/Homepages/alexch.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Eli Ben-Sasson - One of the main people behind STARKs, FRI, and scalable transparent proofs. [Eli Ben-Sasson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli_Ben-Sasson?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Jens Groth - Important if you want to understand pairing-based SNARKs, especially Groth16-style systems. [Jens Groth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jens_Groth?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Srinath Setty - Good to follow for newer proof systems, recursive proofs, and folding schemes. [Srinath Setty at Microsoft Research](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/people/srinath/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## Applied ZK engineering (what people are building) - StarkWare - Follow their researchers for STARKs, recursion, and scaling applications. [Alessandro Chiesa | EECS at UC Berkeley](https://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Faculty/Homepages/alexch.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Zcash - Important for seeing real-world privacy applications of zkSNARKs. [Alessandro Chiesa | EECS at UC Berkeley](https://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Faculty/Homepages/alexch.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Ethereum Foundation - A major source of practical ZK research, especially around scaling and privacy. ## Educators / accessible explanations - Justin Thaler - Excellent for understanding polynomial commitments, sum-check protocols, and the mathematical machinery behind modern ZK. - Dan Boneh - His cryptography lectures are among the best entry points before diving deep into ZK. - Vitalik Buterin - Not a cryptographer in the academic sense, but his writing explains many practical ZK applications clearly. ## If you’re starting from zero, I’d follow this path 1. Learn basic cryptography: - Public-key cryptography - Hash functions - Digital signatures - Commitment schemes 2. Learn the ZK basics: - Completeness - Soundness - Zero knowledge - Interactive proofs 3. Then study: - Sigma protocols - Fiat–Shamir transform - Polynomial commitments - zkSNARKs - STARKs - Recursive proofs 4. Build something: - Circom + snarkjs (beginner-friendly) - Halo2 (advanced) - Plonky2 (recursive proofs) - Cairo/Starknet (STARK ecosystem) A good “Twitter/X + papers” starter list would be: **Micali, Goldwasser, Thaler, Chiesa, Ben-Sasson, Groth, Setty, Boneh, Buterin, and StarkWare researchers.** If your goal is **becoming a ZK engineer** rather than a cryptography researcher, the list changes quite a bit.

**Follow pioneers like Shafi Goldwasser, Silvio Micali, and Oded Goldreich for foundational theory, and modern innovators such as Alessandro Chiesa, Eli Ben-Sasson, and teams at StarkWare, zkSync, and Aztec for cutting-edge applications.** ## 📚 Foundational Researchers These are the academics who _invented_ or deeply shaped Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs): Expert| Contribution| Where to Follow ---|---|--- **Shafi Goldwasser**| Co-inventor of ZKPs; Turing Award winner; Director of Simons Institute| UC Berkeley, Simons Institute talks, academic papers[Top Zero-Knowledge Proofs Experts to Follow - Ian Khan | AI Keynote Speaker for Hire | Futurist, Author, Thinkers50](https://www.iankhan.com/top-10-zero-knowledge-proofs-experts-to-follow-a-future-ready-guide-for-2026/)[Top Zero Knowledge Experts 2022 - Leo Wallet for Aleo](https://www.leo.app/blog/top-zero-knowledge-experts-2022) **Silvio Micali**| Co-inventor of ZKPs; founder of Algorand blockchain| MIT CSAIL, Algorand Foundation[Top Zero-Knowledge Proofs Experts to Follow - Ian Khan | AI Keynote Speaker for Hire | Futurist, Author, Thinkers50](https://www.iankhan.com/top-10-zero-knowledge-proofs-experts-to-follow-a-future-ready-guide-for-2026/) **Oded Goldreich**| Cryptography theorist at Weizmann Institute; foundational ZKP research| Weizmann Institute publications[Top Zero-Knowledge Proofs Experts to Follow - Ian Khan | AI Keynote Speaker for Hire | Futurist, Author, Thinkers50](https://www.iankhan.com/top-10-zero-knowledge-proofs-experts-to-follow-a-future-ready-guide-for-2026/) ## 🚀 Modern Innovators These figures bridge theory with blockchain and applied cryptography: Expert| Contribution| Where to Follow ---|---|--- **Alessandro Chiesa**| Co-founder of Zcash & StarkWare; UC Berkeley professor; co-inventor of Zerocash| Twitter, StarkWare blog, Berkeley lectures[Top Zero Knowledge Experts 2022 - Leo Wallet for Aleo](https://www.leo.app/blog/top-zero-knowledge-experts-2022) **Eli Ben-Sasson**| Co-developer of STARKs; co-founder of StarkWare| Twitter (@EliBenSasson), StarkWare publications[Top Zero Knowledge Experts 2022 - Leo Wallet for Aleo](https://www.leo.app/blog/top-zero-knowledge-experts-2022) **Eli Ben-Sasson & StarkWare Team**| Leading STARK-based scalability solutions| StarkWare blog, conferences[Top Zero Knowledge Experts 2022 - Leo Wallet for Aleo](https://www.leo.app/blog/top-zero-knowledge-experts-2022) ## 🏢 Companies Driving ZKP Adoption If you want to see _real-world implementations_: * **StarkWare(StarkNet)** – pioneers of STARK-based scalability. * **Matter Labs (zkSync)** – leaders in zk-rollups for Ethereum scaling. * **Consensys(Linea)** – zkEVM development. * **Aztec Network** – privacy-preserving blockchain transactions. * **RISC Zero** – zkVM for verifiable computation[Rumble Fish | Blog | Top ZKP Development Companies in 2026: A Guide to Zero-Knowledge Proof Experts](https://www.rumblefish.dev/blog/post/top-zkp-companies-2026/). ## 📰 Blogs & Papers Worth Following * **Chainlink Labs** – practical ZKP applications in blockchain. * **Wilson Center Blockchain Briefs** – primers on ZKP concepts. * **Cryptology ePrint Archive** – cutting-edge academic papers on recursive proofs, benchmarking, and new protocols[Notable ZKP Blogs and Papers | Zero Knowledge Proofs in the Real World](https://practical-zk.github.io/notable). ## ⚠️ Risks & Considerations * **Signal overload**: Many voices discuss ZKPs, but not all are authoritative. Stick to academics and established companies. * **Scams** : Some blockchain projects misuse “ZKP” as a buzzword. Verify whether they publish technical papers or open-source code. * **Complexity barrier**: ZKPs are mathematically dense; following lectures and workshops from Simons Institute or MIT can help bridge the gap. 👉 To deepen your learning, I’d suggest starting with **Goldwasser & Micali’s original papers**, then following **StarkWare and zkSync blogs** for applied insights. Would you like me to curate a _step-by-step learning path_ (from beginner-friendly primers to advanced research papers) so you can build expertise systematically?

To truly master **Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs)** , you want to follow researchers, cryptographers, and builders who actively push the field forward - ranging from the foundational math and academic theory to applied cryptographic engineering (zk-SNARKs, zk-STARKs, and rollups). ### 1\. Researchers & Cryptographers (The Theory & Core Math) * **Dan Boneh (Stanford):** A titan in applied cryptography. While he covers everything from crypto to AI security, his courses and research group at Stanford are foundational for understanding the mathematics behind pairing-based cryptography and ZKPs. * **Alessandro Chiesa (UC Berkeley / co-founder of Starkware & Aleo):** One of the principal co-creators of libsnark and foundational ZK protocols. Following his work gives you a direct line to how theoretical proofs transition into high-performance cryptographic systems. * **Eli Ben-Sasson (co-founder of StarkWare):** The co-inventor of STARKs (Scalable Transparent Arguments of Knowledge). If you want to understand how to build verifiable computation without trusted setups, his talks, papers, and updates are essential. * **Srinath Setty (Microsoft Research):** A prominent researcher focusing on verifiable computation, succinct arguments, and efficient ZK argument systems. ### 2\. Educators & Practical Explainer Builders (Best for Learning) * **Justin Thaler (a16z crypto / Georgetown):** One of the absolute best educators in the space. His book/notes, _"Proofs, Arguments, and Zero-Knowledge"_ , is a bible for learning the inner workings of interactive proofs and polynomial IOPs. He frequently shares deep-dives and paper breakdowns. * **Danika Hsieh & the a16z crypto research team:** Andreessen Horowitz has an exceptional crypto research division that regularly publishes beginner-to-advanced ZK guides, code implementations, and mental models (like the Dan Boneh/a16z ZK MOOC). * **Vitalik Buterin:** While known for Ethereum broadly, Vitalik's blog posts are legendary for breaking down complex ZK tech (like validity rollups, EVM-equivalence, and polynomial commitments) into readable, implementation-focused insights. ### 3\. Podcasts, Organizations & Communities * **Zero Knowledge Podcast (Anna Rose):** The definitive podcast for the ZK space. Anna Rose interviews foundational cryptographers, protocol architects, and security auditors weekly. Listening to or following the **ZKproof Standards Workshop** community she helps run is a masterclass in current industry standards. * **ZK Whiteboard Sessions (by Geometry / ZK Hack):** A phenomenal, structured video series that takes you from basic modular arithmetic all the way to advanced zk-SNARK constructions. * **0xPARC / PSE (Privacy & Scaling Explorations):** Follow the researchers and hackers at PSE (an Ethereum Foundation initiative) and 0xPARC. They focus on applied cryptography, ZK-based games, and developer tooling (circom, halo2, plonky2). Where would you like to start learning? Recommend the best introductory ZK courses and reading materials Explain the difference between zk-SNARKs and zk-STARKs

To truly master Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs), you want to follow a mix of academic researchers, applied cryptographers, and community educators who break down everything from heavy abstract algebra to production-ready zk-SNARKs. 1\. Leading Researchers & Theorists * * * ** _Justin Thaler_** : A Principal Research Scientist at a16z crypto and professor known for making complex polynomial interactive proofs, GKR implementations, and verification scaling exceptionally clear. He frequently publishes intuitive breakdowns and academic overviews. * * * **_Dan Boneh_** : Co-director of the Applied Cryptography Group at Stanford University. He is legendary for his online cryptography courses and foundational work touching zero-knowledge systems and pairings. * * * **_Alessandro Chiesa_** : Co-creator of libsnark and co-founder of Starkware/Aleo. He has been a pivotal academic and builder in turning theoretical ZKPs into succinct non-interactive arguments of knowledge. 2\. Top Educators, Podcasters & Community Hubs * **Anna Rose** : Host of the [Zero Knowledge Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/zero-knowledge/id1326503043) and co-founder of zkSummit and ZK Hack. Following her and the Zero Knowledge Podcast X account is the absolute best way to stay looped into recurring interviews with top ZK cryptographers and emerging trends. [Highlights by Anna Rose (@AnnaRRose) / X](https://x.com/AnnaRRose/highlights)[Zero Knowledge - Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/zero-knowledge/id1326503043) * **ZKProof Standards** : Follow [@zkproof](https://x.com/zkproof), an open academic and industry initiative focused on standardizing ZKPs. Great for tracking formal specifications, security parameters, and workshops. [ZKProof Standards](https://x.com/zkproof) * **ZK Hack / ZK Whiteboard Sessions** : A phenomenal educational initiative (often co-hosted by members of the PSE team and Accelerate) that offers deep-dive video courses breaking down the math and engineering mechanics of ZK-SNARKs and STARKs from scratch. 3\. Applied Cryptography & Engineering Groups * **ZK Security** : A specialized auditor group publishing brilliant breakdowns (like their famous curation of [10 Must-Read Papers That Shaped Modern Zero-Knowledge Proofs](https://blog.zksecurity.xyz/posts/ten-zk-papers/)). Following their technical blog and core researchers is fantastic for learning security pitfalls in ZK circuits. [10 Must-Read Papers That Shaped Modern Zero-Knowledge](https://blog.zksecurity.xyz/posts/ten-zk-papers/) * **Ethereum Foundation PSE (Privacy & Scaling Explorations)**: A team of researchers and builders experimenting with practical ZK applications, recursive proofs, and developer tooling. If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know: * Are you more interested in the **heavy underlying mathematics/cryptography** or **practical circuit writing (Circom, Noir, Halo2)**? * Would you prefer a list of **beginner-friendly books and courses** to start with?