What’s that? Another ZK use case?? Let’s discuss zkTLS - the zero knowledge system that’s fixing secure communication on the Internet. Strap in

zkTLS - Zero Knowledge Transport Layer Security TLS exists today within the web as a way of establishing a secure connection from your device to a website. When you see the S in HTTPS at the start of a url, it means that your connection to the site is encrypted and no personal data is vulnerable when you’re entering it (e.g. an address or credit card info) Blockchain takes this security a step further using ZK proofs.

What’s the problem with the current implementation of TLS? On the web today, TLS does a great job of securing your data while it’s being sent from your device to a server, but then it reveals that info directly to the server where it’s once again vulnerable to hackers. If I type in my birthdate in a form on a website and submit it, that info gets sent to that site’s server, where it’ll be stored - and potentially stolen. ZK solves that issue by removing the need to trust that the server won’t get hacked.

It all comes down to how ZK proofs actually work: they’re able to mathematically prove whether data meets a given condition without actually revealing any of the data itself. Instead of sending over data to a server for verification, the system would send a proof that returns a Boolean (true or false) to check whether the given condition was met or not.

Let’s say I need to prove to a site that I’m over 21. Normally, I’d submit an image of my ID as proof, and that image would be stored on that site’s server where it’ll verify my age. If that site was using zkTLS, I could prove my age without sending my actual ID and worrying about it getting leaked if their server got hacked.

Here’s a breakdown of how it could work: 1. You scan your ID to verify your birthdate 2. A ZK circuit generates a proof based on the date 3. The proof is sent to the site’s server 4. The proof returns either true (over 21) or false (under 21) Using this method, you’re able to verify your age without an image of your ID ever leaving your phone.

zkTLS is especially practical because it builds on top of existing TLS systems and doesn’t require major infrastructure upgrades. @nader dabit has a great thread that covers apps already live that use @Opacity Network and @Reclaim Protocol for their zkTLS use cases. https://x.com/dabit3/status/1908203632857690496?s=46…

ZK utility is constantly evolving and getting more efficient, and zkTLS is just one example. If you want to learn more about these types of systems and become a blockchain pro, check out my free course at http://dcft.site