Matter Labs announced after discussion that they are giving up the application for the ZK trademark.

Recently, the zero-knowledge proof (ZK) application company Matter Labs (developer of ZKsync) sparked controversy by applying to trademark the token name ZK, leading to a backlash from other ZK technology application companies like Starkware and researchers, who believe that Matter Labs is encroaching on the public domain and disregarding the collective wisdom of the community.

What is Zero Knowledge (ZK)?

Zero Knowledge, abbreviated as ZK, is a cryptographic technology that allows one party, the prover, to prove to another party, the verifier, the authenticity of certain information without revealing the information itself. This technology has wide applications in privacy and security, especially in digital identity verification, blockchain, and privacy-preserving protocols.

Zero-knowledge proof has three main characteristics:

1. Completeness: If the prover possesses certain information, then they can convince the verifier of the authenticity of that information.
2. Soundness: If the prover does not possess certain information, then they cannot convince the verifier of the authenticity of that information.
3. Zero-Knowledgeness: During the proof process, the verifier does not gain any additional knowledge about the information, except the fact that the information is true.

For example, suppose you know the solution to a maze, the path from the entrance to the exit, and you want to prove to a friend that you know the solution without revealing the specific path. You can use a zero-knowledge proof method to achieve this, making your friend believe that you indeed know the solution, but they cannot learn any details of the solution from it.

Zero-knowledge proofs are particularly useful in blockchain technology, for example in privacy-focused cryptocurrencies like Zcash, where they are used to prove the validity of transactions while maintaining transaction privacy.

Learn more about the application of zero-knowledge proof technology: the third major technological innovation in the history of blockchain development.