Cryptographic proofs and modern algebra solve blockchain’s two most pressing problems: scalability and privacy
Blockchains rely on inclusive accountability - everyone can verify the chain’s integrity. This inherent feature begets two of blockchain’s fundamental problems: scalability and privacy. Over the last four decades, theoretical work in the fields of Interactive Proofs (IP), Zero Knowledge Proofs (ZKP) and Probabilistically Checkable Proofs (PCP) has shown how to solve both these problems - but only in the last few years has the theory become practice.
STARK is the culmination of the theory-to-practice journey. It is built on battle-tested cryptography on the one hand, and on recent academic breakthroughs (e.g., quasi-linear PCPs, interactive oracle proofs (IOPs), FRI) on the other. The result is a protocol with unparalleled scale, speed, and safety.