An overview of zero knowledge projects

Zero knowledge proofs (more accurately termed as validity proofs) are mathematical proofs that allow the verification of the validity of a claim. In the case of Ethereum, it has been used to prove the validity of a batch of transactions, which allows for the computation of batched transactions to be handled off-chain, thereby reducing the transaction costs and improving transaction throughput.

Validity proofs are able to do so because they compress transaction data into a single mathematical proof. As such, verifiers can validate batches of transactions with validity proof, which is significantly faster than verifying every single transaction. As such, the transaction data can also be posted off-chain (known as Validium) and hosted by an external data committee, which further reduces the load on Ethereum main net. The differences between Validium and zk rollups were explored in a prior piece.