ZK-Forge & The Real "Trust Me Bro"
It has been a while since I gave a boot camp a chance, but on top of all that, I had been keenly interested in learning more about Zero Knowledge Proofs underlying technology, so when ZK-forge gave me a chance to actually get an immersion into the world of Zero Knowledge, I didn't think twice. Especially after constantly postponing my reading and research, the boot-camp really hit the spot.
Not only is it a boot-camp, but there's also a hackathon afterwards for the true builders, you literally win good money afterwards...(trust me bro). You get paid to actually put into practice what you learnt over the period. It's a very sweet deal.
It has one of the best lineups in terms of tutors and mentors in the ZK field, the content was actually made very easy to grasp.
It was in a way, "snarky"... not too mouthful, not enough to discourage you, and not too bulky for you to run away. It was actually just the right amount at the right time, with the right delivery by the right people. The lineup ranged from Stephen Duan, Vanishree Dao, Shereyas Padmakiran , Lauri Peltonen , Alice Liu ...just to name a few.
We basically did it over the course of 30 days, and i really enjoyed it.
For now, we are on the project phase (build-a-thon), don't ask me what my project is, but just know, it has nothing to do with Fin-tech. The whole program was virtual, but the interaction and delivery was nothing short of outstanding.
I started out as a novice in the ZK field, but for now, I can actually say, I'm pretty good at it. If you want proof, then here's my proof...(Trust me bro).
Jokes aside, I have curated a link to the recorded sessions, please have a look at it, it will really go a long way if you want to know more about ZK, plus ZK-Forge are quite generous, most of their content is literally just FOSS.
ZK-Monk Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@zkMonk
If you're like me, and have never really read anything about ZK before today, let me give you a brief summary of what the actual first day had...this is just a tip of a collection of icebergs that were covered in the boot-camp. Let's jump right in:
If "Trust me bro" were to ever be a technology, I think Zero Knowledge would absolutely nail it! Literally, zero sensitive information shared, just pure mathematical trust , trust me bro, I got you. I got this. I can handle this. From Succinctness, to proofs, to roll-ups, you name it.
There have been multiple articles written about ZK , however, they haven't really scratched the surface at all. We are just beginning.
There's more to be done and to be researched about the technology, for today, I want us to start off from zero... (the actual number zero).
The plan is to make this blog short and sweet just like my favorite person, as possible.
So consider this, as, ZK for Dummies, in a hurry.
We won't handle the math, nothing too complex, just pure ease for digestion and perhaps, it will be your gateway drug into the ZK addiction phase.
PS. I didn't call you or anyone a dummy!!!!
How I Got Here (and My StarkNet Confusion)
About a few years ago, I first heard of StarkNet . I honestly thought it had something to do with Tony Stark, or maybe a pun on “tech stack", or even something about "stack overflow.” I had no clue it was connected to ZK-STARKs. Turns out, it was more about cryptography than about Disney.
Fast forward, and now I see how these names connect to actual zk proof systems. The bootcamp definitely fixed that blind spot for me, i can help fix yours too abit.
Interactive zk: (Iterated Telepathy)
Interactive proofs are like a magician convincing a skeptic without revealing the trick. There’s a back-and-forth: the skeptic throws questions, the magician answers just enough without giving too much away. After a few rounds, the skeptic is convinced the magic is real. This sounds almost like a con artist, in fact it's border line con artistry, if you ask me, anything about magic.
That’s zk: a prover (magician) and a verifier (you), whispering back and forth until trust is replaced with certainty. The magician convinces you enough that you end up trusting them 100%. But unlike the magician, this system is actually true, and its not just backed by the back and forth, but also by the fundamental description of the universe ... wanna guess what it is? yes, mathematics...if you guessed protons, neutrons, electrons… and morons, I have news for you... you're also right.
This method usually takes up a lot of time, due to the back and forth, however we have other methods that simply just work much faster.
If my magician analogy fell short, like... I'll lend you the alibaba cave example.
Non-interactive zk: One Airtight Note
For a more time efficient method, if you don't have the patience for the back and forth, I mean , who has?
For non-interactive ZK, With tricks like Fiat–Shamir, you fold the whole conversation into one sealed note. Anyone can check it later and still be convinced. There's no back and forth. Its just one airtight note, and it is enough to convince you. This sounds almost like a death threat from a mob or a mafia boss, 100%. So for sure the answer you seek , you shall find.
No chatter, no drama, just one proof to rule them all.
SNARKs: Great things come in small packages, (just like my woman)
ZK-SNARKs = succinct, non-interactive arguments of knowledge. Translation:
Before I tell you more, let me help you understand what succinct actually is. It sounds like it sucks, but in the real sense ... Imagine this....
If a picture is worth a thousand words, we can form a thousand words from this image of "Monkey D Luffi" and his friends.
It can compress a massive computation into just a few kilobytes as proof.
It basically incorporates;
- Small proofs
- Fast to verify
- Great for blockchains
But there’s a catch: many SNARKs need a “trusted setup” , a kind of cryptographic ceremony. If compromised, it’s trouble. So, while SNARKs are efficient, they come with baggage.
STARKs: Transparent and Scalable
zk-STARKs = scalable, transparent arguments of knowledge. Translation:
- No trusted setup
- Transparent and more secure
- Post-quantum resistant (future-proof vibes), so yeah go quantum as much as you want, we are safe here.
- Proofs are larger than SNARKs, but that’s the trade-off
This is where StarkNet comes in, it’s literally an ecosystem built on STARKs, and No, Tony Stark is not involved.
Math? It’s Abstracted Away
Here’s the part most people are scared of (Good thing I'm not a person): elliptic curves, polynomial commitments, finite fields… sounds terrifying , right? It is.
But the truth? Frameworks like Circom, Noir, Cairo (StarkNet’s language, not the Egyptian capital, it does have an amazing ring to it though) abstract all that away.
You don’t need to hand-crank algebra to use ZK. But if you want to, I won't stop you, I mean ZK-LFG!
It’s like farming: I don’t need to know how to graft trees or measure soil pH to enjoy a mango. The mathematicians farm the orchard; I just savor the fruit or the juice. With zk, you can build apps without being a math farmer.
Why This Matters
ZK isn’t just about privacy coins. It’s about:
- Scaling blockchains (rollups)
- Private but verifiable identity
- Proof of reserves (without doxxing balances)
- Fairness in voting or gaming
It’s the ultimate upgrade from “trust me, bro” to “here’s the proof.” or to an actual "trust me bro" that works.
Final thoughts
ZK-FORGE bootcamp gave me a clear takeaway, and also compounded it with a tonne of curiosity : zk is powerful, funny in its naming quirks, and not as scary as I thought. It’s telepathy between systems, One Piece-level compression, and a buffet of fruit where the math farmers did the hard work for us.
So yeah: zk is the real “trust me, bro.” Except now, I can actually prove it.
Want to dive deeper? Here are some resources I found useful, However, the youtube will really goes a long way.
- StarkWare docs
- ZkMonk Bootcamp recap (Twitter/X thread)
- ZKM.io
- https://zkmesh.substack.com
- https://zkintro.com/articles/friendly-introduction-to-zero-knowledge/
Shout out to ZkMonk, ZkVerifyProtocol and HorizenOnchain for the awesome zkForgeBootcamp 2025, It was amazing.
So next time someone says "trust me bro" , ask them : can you prove it zk-style? zk-gbye friends.
