Episodes

  • Announcement: zkMesh+ Exclusive Clip – Vericoding and SMT

    Announcement: zkMesh+ Exclusive Clip – Vericoding and SMT
    Jun 18 2026

    No main episode this week, but we’ve got an exclusive bonus clip for our zkMesh+ subscribers!

    Continuing our conversation from last week, Wyatt Benno (ICME) describes the world of 'vericoding' - the next stage after the era of 'vibecoding.' Vericoding uses formal mathematics to prove that AI code is actually correct and help prevent bugs in AI-written code. We go deep on SMT (Satisfiability Modulo Theories), a decades-old verification technique originally built for cloud infrastructure, and discuss how SMT can now take a plain-English description and mathematically verify that your AI-generated code does exactly what you want it to do.

    If you want to hear this bonus clip, please head over to zkMesh and become a paid subscriber! Link to subscribe: https://zkmesh.substack.com/subscribe
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    1 min
  • Building ZK-Powered AI Guardrails with Wyatt Benno

    Building ZK-Powered AI Guardrails with Wyatt Benno
    Jun 10 2026
    In this episode, Anna and Nico chat with Wyatt Benno, technical founder of ICME Labs. They trace Wyatt’s start into ZK in the ZKHack Discord and Justin Thaler’s study group before diving into ICME’s early work on folding schemes, local proving, and NovaNet. The conversation then shifts to ICME’s work at the intersection of AI and ZK. Wyatt introduces ICMEPreflight, a ZK-based guardrail tool for AI. They then explore how succinct verification and privacy-preserving proofs can help secure agentic commerce and provide stronger guarantees than existing guardrail approaches. They also discuss Jolt Atlas, ICME’s zero-knowledge machine learning framework, the connections between ZK and AI and the challenges of scaling ZKML. Finally, Wyatt encourages future advances in ZKML that could unlock privacy and verifiability in AI systems. Related Links
    • ICME Labs
    • Nova: Recursive Zero-Knowledge Arguments from Folding Schemes (2022)
    • Jolt Atlas: Verifiable Inference via Lookup Arguments in Zero Knowledge (2026)
    • ZK Podcast:Is ZK dead? Or has it just begun? with the ZK Pod co-hosts
    • ZK Podcast:Isogenies with Luca De Feo
    • ZK Podcast:How ZK inspired AI Watermarking with Miranda Christ
    • Neo: Lattice-based folding scheme for CCS over small fields and pay-per-bit commitments (2025)
    • Awesome Folding Schemes Repo by Lurk Labs
    • Proofs, Arguments, and Zero-Knowledge by Justin Thaler

    Smart contracts have lost users billions of dollars to bugs. Zero-knowledge protocols are next. zkSecurity audits the full stack and publishes open research on ZK vulnerabilities. Head to zksecurity.xyz to learn more. **If you like what we do:** * Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree * Subscribe to our podcast newsletter * Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm * Join us on Telegram * Catch us on YouTube **Support the show:** * Patreon * ETH - Donation address * BTC - Donation address * SOL - Donation address * ZEC - Donation address Read transcript
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • The Quantum Question Panel – Live from zkSummit14

    The Quantum Question Panel – Live from zkSummit14
    May 27 2026
    This episode was recorded live at zkSummit14 in Rome. In it, Anna and Nico Mohnblatt hosted the live ‘Quantum Question’ panel which began as an interview, but became something harder to categorize: part seminar, part group therapy, part improv theater, and — depending on the timeline you expect for viable quantum computers — part emergency briefing. The logistics of the panel were really unusual. The guests were meant to be Justin Drake and Dan Boneh, but Dan’s flight was delayed. And so the panel began with just Justin Drake and the hosts — what someone in the room jokingly described as the highest moderator-to-panelist ratio in zkSummit history. To compensate, the format broke open: researchers from the audience, including Daira-Emma Hopwood from the Zcash team and Jens Groth (author of Groth16), joined the conversation. A park bench materialized in real time. The conversation veered into the history of quantum computing research, why Shor’s algorithm threatens today’s public-key cryptography and pairing-based SNARKs, fault-tolerant ‘logical qubits’, physical qubit fidelities, and why neutral-atom machines—despite slower cycle times—may be the most practical path to ‘Q-Day.’ The group also debates the rush-to-post-quantum pitfalls, the benefits of lattice-based post-quantum schemes versus hash-based ones, and how hybrid transitions are unfolding in practice. This was a truly chaotic, spontaneous, informative and fun session at zk14 with some great contributors from attendees and community members, we hope you enjoy it! Related Links
    • ZK14 - The Quantum Question Panel Video
    • Episode 391 -lean Ethereum Part 1: Introduction with Justin Drake
    • Episode 400 - Quantum Advances, Hybrid Signatures and SNARKs to the Rescue with Dan Boneh
    • Quantum Algorithm Zoo
    • POSEIDON: A New Hash Function for Zero-Knowledge Proof Systems
    • Poseidon2: A Faster Version of the Poseidon Hash Function
    • Securing Elliptic Curve Cryptocurrencies against Quantum Vulnerabilities: Resource Estimates and Mitigations
    • Oratomic (Neutral Atoms Startup)
    • Neo and SuperNeo: Post-quantum folding with pay-per-bit costs over small fields
    • lean Ethereum

    Check out all the talks from zkSummit14 in Rome on our YouTube channel here. **If you like what we do:** * Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree * Subscribe to our podcast newsletter * Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm * Join us on Telegram * Catch us on YouTube **Support the show:** * Patreon * ETH - Donation address * BTC - Donation address * SOL - Donation address * ZEC - Donation address Read transcript
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    59 mins
  • From Access Control to Encrypted Execution with Auryn Macmillan

    From Access Control to Encrypted Execution with Auryn Macmillan
    May 20 2026
    In this episode, Anna chats with Auryn Macmillan, founder of Gnosis Guild. They check in on Zodiac, which started as a DAO toolset and has evolved into a modular access control suite for on-chain entities. They discuss the state of DAOs today—what's worked, what hasn't, and how tools like Zodiac might have mitigated large-scale multisig hacks like the recent Bybit exploit. The conversation then shifts to The Interfold (formerly Enclave), Gnosis Guild's new project combining FHE, ZK, and MPC to create encrypted execution environments. These enable multiple parties to collectively compute over private data and produce a verifiable output without any single trusted coordinator. They explore use cases like secret ballot voting and sealed bid auctions, the broader potential for collaborative analytics and private AI training, and how this fits into the larger privacy ecosystem. Related Links
    • Charting Zodiac & DAOs with Nathan Ginnever and Auryn Macmillan
    • theinterfold.com
    • gnosisguild.org
    • How Aztec Raised $59M With 17,000 Bidders Using Uniswap’s CCA

    Check out the talks from zkSummit14 in Rome on our YouTube channel here. **If you like what we do:** * Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree * Subscribe to our podcast newsletter * Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm * Join us on Telegram * Catch us on YouTube **Support the show:** * Patreon * ETH - Donation address * BTC - Donation address * SOL - Donation address * ZEC - Donation address Read transcript
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    53 mins
  • Quantum Advances, Hybrid Signatures and SNARKs to the Rescue with Dan Boneh

    Quantum Advances, Hybrid Signatures and SNARKs to the Rescue with Dan Boneh
    May 6 2026
    In this 400th episode, Anna Rose welcomes back Dan Boneh, professor of computer science and electrical engineering at Stanford University, for a wide-ranging conversation on quantum computing, post-quantum cryptography, and the evolving role of ZK. They discuss Google's recent quantum algorithm announcement—what the paper actually showed, why it was proven in zero knowledge, and the cryptographic ideas embedded in the work. Dan shares his perspective on quantum timelines, the risks of rushing the post-quantum transition, and why algebraic signatures deserve more attention than hash-based ones in the blockchain world. The conversation covers hybrid signature schemes, the web's quiet transition to post-quantum cryptography, and the intersection of AI and ZK. Dan also highlights witness encryption, explains why encrypted mempools are generating new research questions, and closes with an update on the Ethereum Foundation's Proximity Prize. Related Links
    • Episode 100 with Dan Boneh
    • Episode 256 with Dan Boneh
    • Episode 345 with Dan Boneh
    • Episode 390 lean Ethereum Miniseries Kick-off with Anna & Nico
    • Episode 359 Lattice-based ZK Systems with Vadim Lyubashevsky
    • Episode 364 AI and ZK Auditing with David Wong
    • Episode 382 Kevin Lacker on AI-Assisted Theorem Proving and Acorn
    • Securing Elliptic Curve Cryptocurrencies against Quantum Vulnerabilities: Resource Estimates and Mitigations
    • Optimal Proximity Gaps for Subspace-Design Codes and (Random) Reed-Solomon Codes
    • Oratomic (Neutral Atoms Startup)
    • Proximity Prize
    • The Trail of Bits Blog:We beat Google’s zero-knowledge proof of quantum cryptanalysis

    **If you like what we do:** * Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree * Subscribe to our podcast newsletter * Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm * Join us on Telegram * Catch us on YouTube **Support the show:** * Patreon * ETH - Donation address * BTC - Donation address * SOL - Donation address * ZEC - Donation address Read transcript
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    1 hr and 25 mins
  • Is ZK dead? Or has it just begun? with the ZK Pod co-hosts

    Is ZK dead? Or has it just begun? with the ZK Pod co-hosts
    Apr 22 2026
    In this episode, Anna is joined by co-hosts Guillermo Angeris, Nico Mohnblatt, and Tarun Chitra for a reunion on this 399th episode. They reflect on how they each joined the show and how both the podcast and the ZK space have evolved over time, before diving into discussion on whether ZK is ‘dead’ or simply maturing. They explore its shift from niche research to hype-driven narrative to becoming a widely used but increasingly invisible piece of infrastructure. They go on to discuss the changing landscape of ZK companies, the explosion of new applications, and the trend of teams using ZK as an implicit primitive rather than a headline feature. The episode closes with a broader reflection on decentralisation, usability, and what the next phase of ZK adoption might look like. Related Links
    • Between Two ZK Events with Nico and Guillermo
    • Building Private AMMs with Guillermo Angeris
    • 2021 < 2022 with Co-hosts & Friends
    • Statistical modeling with PoS systems with Tarun Chitra
    • Indistinguishability Obfuscation (iO) with Huijia (Rachel) Lin
    • Error Correcting Codes & Information Theory with Ron Rothblum
    • How ZK inspired AI Watermarking with Miranda Christ
    • Ethproofs, zkVM Benchmarks & the Unstoppable Rise of ZK with Justin Drake
    • Decentralized Storage Part 1: Looking back
    • Decentralized Storage Part 2: Solutions
    • Verifiable Databases with Shyam & Emanuele from Provably

    zkMesh+ live! Subscribe for zkMesh+ and catch the latest State of ZK 2025 report. **If you like what we do:** * Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree * Subscribe to our podcast newsletter * Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm * Join us on Telegram * Catch us on YouTube **Support the show:** * Patreon * ETH - Donation address * BTC - Donation address * SOL - Donation address * ZEC - Donation address Read transcript
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Verifiable Databases with Shyam & Emanuele from Provably

    Verifiable Databases with Shyam & Emanuele from Provably
    Apr 8 2026
    In this episode, Anna Rose and Nico Mohnblatt speak with Shyam Duraishwami and Emanuele Ragnoli, co-founders of Provably. They trace the origins of Provably, from early work on data ecosystems and blockchain infrastructure to the launch of their verifiable database approach, exploring how advances in cryptography and database theory enabled this shift. The conversation dives into what a verifiable database actually is and how this contrasts with Merkle-based systems and zkVMs, explaining how Provably’s use of polynomial and vector commitments enables performance that scales with query complexity rather than dataset size, opening the door to large-scale, real-world applications. They close with a discussion on emerging applications from proving insights over private blockchain data to enabling verifiable analytics in Web2 and multi-agent systems—and the broader implications for data integrity in an increasingly data-rich world. Related Links
    • Tavloid: towards Simple Verifiable Spreadsheets and Databases by Campanelli
    • Linear-map Vector Commitments and their Practical Applications by Campanelli, Nitulescu, Ràfols, Zacharakis and Zapico
    • qedb: Expressive and Modular Verifiable Databases (without SNARKs) by Botta, Bottoni, Campanelli, Ragnoli and Trombetta

    Applications to attend zkSummit14 are open! This edition will be more intimate with limited spots — we recommend applying early. Apply at www.zksummit.com zkMesh+ live! Subscribe for zkMesh+ and catch the latest State of ZK 2025 report. **If you like what we do:** * Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree * Subscribe to our podcast newsletter * Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm * Join us on Telegram * Catch us on YouTube **Support the show:** * Patreon * ETH - Donation address * BTC - Donation address * SOL - Donation address * ZEC - Donation address Read transcript
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    56 mins
  • Dev Ojha on the Osmosis Story and his Return to Privacy

    Dev Ojha on the Osmosis Story and his Return to Privacy
    Apr 1 2026
    In this episode, Anna Rose and Guillermo Angeris catch up with Dev Ojha, co-founder of Osmosis and longtime ZK researcher. They revisit the story of Osmosis since its 2021 launch as a key Cosmos DEX, its role in early IBC adoption, the DeFi summer surge, the Terra collapse fallout, and the later pivot by the team toward privacy-focused cross-chain tools. The conversation then turns to Dev’s return to privacy tech, focusing on Zcash. They explore ongoing challenges like shielded sync, nullifier bloat, and scaling shielded transactions, along with proposed solutions involving private information retrieval (PIR), oblivious synchronization, evolving nullifiers, recursive SNARKs, faster block times with pre-confirmation ideas, and paths toward post-quantum recoverability. They wrap-up with a discussion about the need for further zkVM optimization and his vision for a more private future. Related Links
    • Osmosis
    • Zcash
    • Namada
    • Fractal: Post-Quantum and Transparent Recursive Proofs from Holography
    • Tachyon: Scaling Zcash with Oblivious Synchronization
    • IBC Protocol
    • Private Information Retrieval (PIR)
    • Arkworks

    Related Previous ZK Episodes
    • Sean Bowe on Tachyon and the Evolution of Zcash

    Applications to attend the zkSummit14 on May 7 in Rome are open! This edition has limited spots — we recommend applying early at www.zksummit.com zkMesh+ live! Subscribe for zkMesh+ and catch the latest State of ZK 2025 report. **If you like what we do:** * Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree * Subscribe to our podcast newsletter * Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm * Join us on Telegram * Catch us on YouTube **Support the show:** * Patreon * ETH - Donation address * BTC - Donation address * SOL - Donation address * ZEC - Donation address Read transcript
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    1 hr and 12 mins