Imagine you have essential personal information, like your legal identity, financial records, or educational certificates, and you need to prove their authenticity without revealing the actual documents. zkPass is an innovative technology designed to help you achieve this. It is a secure, encrypted method that allows you to validate your information without disclosing the underlying details to anyone.

zkPass leverages advanced protocols, namely 3P-TLS and Hybrid ZK technologies, to ensure secure and private data sharing. These tools enable you to verify data from any HTTPS website and transfer it to the Web3 ecosystem, which includes decentralized applications and services, without compromising your personal information. This approach ensures that your data remains confidential and is not exposed to third parties.

What is ZkPass?

Source: ZkPass Website

zkPass is a new technology that helps keep your personal information safe while proving certain facts about it. Imagine you need to prove that you’re over 18 to buy a ticket for a movie, but you don’t want to show your ID with all your private details. zkPass allows you to do this by using “zero-knowledge proofs.” This way, you can prove that you meet the requirements without revealing extra information.

The Vision and Mission of zkPass

zkPass’s mission is to facilitate secure and private data verification and sharing. They aim to safeguard personal information from exposure or misuse while enabling reliable interactions in the digital world.

Their vision is to establish a digital landscape where privacy and security are paramount in data sharing. They aspire to empower individuals to share their verified information confidently and securely, promoting a more trustworthy and private digital environment for all.

Features of ZkPass

Here are the key features that make zkPass an innovative solution for digital identity verification:

• Privacy-Preserving: At the heart of zkPass is its ability to prove private data without compromising personal privacy details. This means users can authenticate and share their data without fearing exposing sensitive information.
• Verifiable: zkPass has re-engineered the standard TLS protocol into a three-party TLS (3P-TLS). This modification ensures the provenance of private data is verifiable, adding an extra layer of security and trust.
• Compatible: The protocol boasts seamless compatibility with any HTTPS websites, requiring no additional APIs or licenses. This ease of integration makes zkPass a versatile tool for various online platforms.
• Anti-Cheating: A decentralized network of MPC nodes divides the Session Key, which plays a crucial role in verifying the authenticity, integrity, and validity of the data. This system is designed to prevent malicious activities such as identity theft and data tampering.
• Memory-Efficiency: Leveraging VOLE-based IZK, zkPass achieves millisecond-level ZKP generation locally in the browser environment. This efficiency is crucial for maintaining performance without sacrificing privacy.

Use Cases of zkPass

Identity Verification

One major use of zkPass is in identity verification. For example, when signing up for an online service, zkPass can help prove your identity without sharing all your personal details. This helps protect your privacy while still letting you access the services you need.

Financial Transactions

zkPass can be used to verify financial transactions. It can help prove that you have enough funds to make a purchase or investment without revealing your bank balance. This is especially useful for maintaining confidentiality in sensitive financial operations.

Online Voting

zkPass can also be applied to online voting systems. It can ensure that each vote is valid and that each voter can vote only once, without revealing who voted for whom. This keeps the voting process secure and private.

The Technology Behind zkPass

zkPass integrates several advanced technologies to provide a secure and private way to validate and share data. Understanding these technologies can help us appreciate how zkPass ensures data integrity and privacy.

Zero-Knowledge Proofs

Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) are the core of zkPass. ZKPs are special mathematical techniques that allow one party (the prover) to demonstrate to another party (the verifier) that a certain statement is true without revealing any other information. They are mostly used to prove you know the solution to a puzzle without showing the solution itself. ZKPs work in a similar way.

Here’s a more detailed look at how ZKPs work in zkPass:

1. Proof Generation: When you need to prove a fact about your data (e.g., your age, income level), zkPass generates a cryptographic proof. This proof confirms the truth of the statement without exposing the underlying data.

2. Verification: The verifier, which could be a website or service, checks this proof. The math behind ZKPs ensures that if the proof checks out, the statement is indeed true, and if the statement were false, the proof would fail.

3. Privacy Assurance: Throughout this process, the actual data (like your exact age or income) is never revealed to the verifier, maintaining your privacy.

Cryptographic Protocols

Cryptographic protocols are sets of rules that dictate how data should be securely transmitted and processed. In zkPass, these protocols are crucial for ensuring that data remains confidential and tamper-proof.

1. Encryption: When your data is used to generate a proof, it is encrypted. This means that the data is transformed into a coded format that can only be understood by authorized parties.

2. Integrity: Cryptographic protocols also ensure data integrity. This means that any proof generated cannot be altered without detection. If someone tries to tamper with the proof, it will be obvious, and the proof will be invalid.

3. Authentication: These protocols help in verifying the identity of the parties involved. When a proof is submitted, zkPass ensures that it comes from a legitimate source.

Multi-Party Computation (MPC)

Multi-Party Computation (MPC) is a powerful tool in cryptography, enabling private and secure collaborative computations. It allows several parties to collaborate on computing a function over their inputs without revealing those inputs to each other.

The architecture of MPC involves protocols that ensure no individual can see the other parties’ data. This is achieved by distributing data across multiple parties and enabling them to perform computations on the data without exposing it.

In real-world scenarios, it’s challenging to have a trusted party because all parties interact in some way, and some might become corrupted.

Corrupted parties can behave in two ways: semi-honest or malicious.

• Semi-Honest Adversaries: These parties follow the protocol but try to extract additional information from the messages exchanged. They act honestly during the protocol execution but attempt to learn more than they should.
• Malicious Adversaries: These parties try to disrupt the protocol by not following the rules. They might alter the execution process to gain unauthorized access to data or compromise security.

MPC protocols are designed to handle both types of adversaries by ensuring that even if some parties are corrupt, the privacy and integrity of the computation remain intact.

Several techniques have been developed to construct MPC protocols, each with unique features:

• Shamir Secret Sharing: This technique distributes a secret among multiple parties such that only a certain number (threshold) of parties can reconstruct the secret. If fewer than the threshold number try, they cannot reconstruct the secret.
• Honest Majority MPC: In this approach, a majority of the participants are assumed to be honest. The computation can be performed using arithmetic or Boolean circuits, ensuring privacy as long as the majority remains honest.
• Input Sharing: Each party shares their input using secret sharing methods, keeping the input private by adding random numbers. These numbers are later removed after the computation to reveal the result.
• Circuit Evaluation: This involves evaluating a computational circuit gate by gate. Parties compute the output of each gate sequentially, ensuring that only the final output is revealed.
• Private Set Intersection: This technique allows two parties to find common elements in their private sets without revealing the rest of the elements.
• Threshold Cryptography: This method enables cryptographic operations without any single party holding the complete secret, using techniques like RSA for encryption.
• Dishonest Majority MPC: When there’s a risk that the majority could be dishonest, special protocols are used to ensure security, like GMW oblivious transfer and garbled circuits.

Advantages of MPC

• Trusted Third Party: It allows data to be shared and computed in a distributed manner without needing a trusted third party.
• Data Privacy: Organizations can share private data for computation without compromising privacy, as the data remains encrypted.
• High Accuracy: MPC provides accurate results using cryptographic methods.
• Quantum Safety: The data is secure against quantum attacks due to its encrypted and distributed nature.

Limitations of MPC

• Computational Overhead: The security measures, such as random number generation, can slow down the computation.
• High Communication Costs: Distributing data among multiple parties can lead to increased communication costs.

Integration of Technologies

The integration of ZKPs, cryptographic protocols, and SMC in zkPass creates a robust system for secure and private data verification.

Here’s how they work together:

1. Proof Creation and Encryption: When proof is needed, zkPass generates it using ZKPs while encrypting the underlying data using cryptographic protocols.

2. Secure Verification: The proof is then shared with the verifier, who uses cryptographic protocols to ensure it hasn’t been tampered with and is legitimate.

3. Collaborative Efforts: If multiple parties are involved in the verification process, SMC allows them to collaborate without exposing their private inputs, ensuring the overall process is secure and private.

Transgate: A Privacy and Security Enhancing Technology

TransGate is a cutting-edge technology designed to enhance privacy and security in the decentralized web. It allows users to authenticate and verify their private data securely across various platforms without exposing sensitive information. This technology is integral to zkPass, a protocol that leverages zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP) and multi-party computation (MPC) to ensure data privacy and security.

Transgate SDK

• The TransGate SDK is an open-source toolkit provided by zkPass, specifically designed to facilitate the integration of the TransGate extension into third-party decentralized applications (DApps). By using this SDK, developers can easily connect their DApps with the TransGate browser extension, enabling users to authenticate their private data securely without needing OAuth API authorization.

Integration Process

1. Setup:

• Ensure the DApp environment supports JavaScript ES6 or later.
• Register and configure your project in the zkPass Dev Center. This involves logging into the dev center, connecting your wallet, creating a new project, and obtaining an app ID.

1. Incorporate TransGate JS-SDK:

• Install the SDK using npm or yarn.
• Integrate the SDK into your project by creating a connector instance with the app ID and checking if the TransGate extension is installed.
• If the extension is available, initiate the verification process using the schema ID.

1. Configuration:

• Configure the SDK according to your DApp’s specific parameters as outlined in the comprehensive integration documentation provided by zkPass.

1. Testing:

• Use the supplied test suites to confirm smooth integration and identify any potential problems.

How It Works

The TransGate JS-SDK links your DApp with the TransGate extension, enabling zero-knowledge verification. The process involves the user preparing for verification, the DApp initiating the SDK, and communicating with the allocator node and TransGate. After login, the verification process starts, establishing a 3P-TLS (Three-Party Transport Layer Security) connection and generating a zero-knowledge proof. The validator node then verifies this proof and returns the result to the DApp through the SDK.

Why Use the TransGate JS-SDK

• Privacy-Preserving Verification: Ensures that user data is verified without exposure, maintaining privacy.
• HTTPS Compatibility: Works seamlessly with HTTPS websites, providing secure verification.
• 3P-TLS Support: Ensures secure data verification through three-party TLS connections.
• Anti-Cheating Mechanisms: Includes robust mechanisms to prevent cheating and ensure data integrity.
• Memory-Efficient ZKPs: Utilizes memory-efficient zero-knowledge proofs, making it ideal for various applications.

Schema

In the context of TransGate and zkPass, a schema is a structured framework that defines the data to be verified. When integrating TransGate into a DApp, developers must create and customize schemas to specify the types of data they want to verify and the assertions that need to be made.

How to create a Schema

1. Login and Connect:

   • Log into the zkPass dev center and connect your wallet.

2. Create a New Project:

   • Provide the necessary information to create a new project and obtain an app ID.

3. Add a Schema:

   • Choose a category and a base schema.

   • Customize the assertions as required.

   • Submit the schema to generate a unique schema ID.

Applications of zkPass

Decentralized Identity

Decentralized identity (DID) is one of the primary applications of zkPass. In the traditional digital world, our identities are controlled by central authorities like governments, social media platforms, or financial institutions. This centralization makes our data vulnerable to breaches and misuse. zkPass allows users to create decentralized identities verified across various platforms without revealing sensitive details.

How it works

With zkPass, you can prove who you are (e.g., age, citizenship, employment) without showing your actual documents. This proof is generated and verified cryptographically.

Benefits

• Privacy: Your personal information remains confidential.

• Security: The risk of data breaches is minimized.

• Control: You maintain control over your identity data.

DeFi Lending

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) refers to financial services built on blockchain technology, which operate without central intermediaries like banks. One challenge in DeFi is assessing the creditworthiness of users without access to their financial history. zkPass provides a solution by enabling private verification of financial records.

How it works

zkPass allows users to prove their financial health (e.g., credit score, income level) to DeFi platforms without disclosing their actual financial records.

Benefits

• Privacy: Users’ financial details remain private.

• Accessibility: More people can participate in DeFi lending, as they can prove their creditworthiness privately.

• Trust: DeFi platforms can trust the verification process without seeing the users’ private data.

Healthcare

In healthcare, protecting patient privacy is paramount. zkPass can securely share and verify healthcare information, ensuring that sensitive medical data is kept confidential.

How it works

Patients can use zkPass to prove their medical history, insurance status, or other health-related information to doctors or insurance companies without sharing their full medical records.

Benefits

• Privacy: Sensitive medical information is protected.

• Efficiency: Verifications can be done quickly and securely.

• Security: Reduces the risk of medical data breaches.

Social Media and Dating

Social media and dating platforms often require users to verify their identities or credentials to build trust and safety. zkPass can provide a secure way for users to verify their profiles without exposing personal information.

How it works

Users can use zkPass to verify their identity, age, or other credentials on social media and dating platforms without sharing sensitive documents.

Benefits

• Privacy: Users’ details are not exposed.

• Trust: Platforms can ensure the authenticity of user profiles.

• Safety: Helps prevent fake profiles and scams.

The Fundraising Milestone of zkPass: A $2.5M Seed Round Success

On August 3, 2023, zkPass announced a significant leap forward in its mission by successfully closing a $2.5 million seed funding round. This event marked a pivotal moment in zkPass’s journey, underscoring the industry’s confidence in its vision and potential.

The seed round attracted substantial participation from top-tier investors, including Sequoia China, Binance Labs, OKX Ventures, dao5, SIG DT Investments, Inc., Leland Ventures, Cypher Capital, Blockchain Founders Fund, and others. Their backing is a testament to the groundbreaking approach zkPass is taking to redefine privacy and security in the digital space.

The infusion of capital is set to supercharge zkPass’s ambitious roadmap, accelerating the launch of its Pre-alpha Testnet and fueling the expansion of its team with exceptional developers and cryptography researchers. The funding will also facilitate the seamless integration of private data verification across diverse applications, from DeFi lending protocols to healthcare data marketplaces.

zkPass Tokenomics

Source: Icodrops

zkPass has introduced its native token, $zkP, with a strategic allocation designed to support the protocol’s long-term viability and ecosystem growth. The total supply of zkP tokens is capped at 1 billion, ensuring a finite supply that underpins the token’s value.

Token Distribution

• Initial Investors: 28% of the total supply, amounting to 280 million zkP tokens, has been allocated for the initial investors. This serves as the primary means incentivizing early investors.
• Early Incentives: 25% of the total supply, 250 million zkP tokens, has been allocated to encourage early adopters.
• Liquidity Pool: 15% of the total supply, amounting to 150 million zkP tokens, has been allocated to provide liquidity for the token.
• ZkPass Foundation: To foster growth and innovation within the zkPass ecosystem, 12% of the total supply, 120 million zkP tokens, is dedicated to ecosystem development initiatives.
• Team and Advisors: Recognizing the importance of incentivizing the team behind zkPass, 10% of the total supply, or 100 million zkP tokens, is reserved for the development team and advisors.
• Community Reserve Funds: To build a strong community and network of partners, 10% of the total supply, equating to 100 million zkP tokens, is set aside for community initiatives and partnerships.

Token Utility

The zkPass token serves multiple purposes within the ecosystem:

1. Transaction Fees: Users pay transaction fees in zkPass tokens for various services on the platform, such as generating and validating proofs.

2. Incentives and Rewards: zkPass tokens are used to incentivize and reward users who contribute to the ecosystem, including those who provide data for verification and developers who create applications on the zkPass platform.

3. Staking and Governance: Token holders can stake their tokens to participate in the governance of the zkPass platform, involving voting on key decisions such as protocol upgrades and parameter adjustments.

4. Marketplace Transactions: In scenarios like privacy-ensured healthcare data marketplaces, zkPass tokens can be used as the primary currency for transactions.

Token Value Dynamics

The value of zkPass tokens is influenced by several factors:

1. Demand and Supply: As the adoption of zkPass grows, the demand for tokens increases. With a capped total supply, this demand can drive up the token’s value.

2. Platform Usage: The more users and transactions on the zkPass platform, the greater the demand for tokens.

3. Incentives and Staking: By providing rewards for staking and participation, zkPass encourages users to hold and stake their tokens, reducing the circulating supply.

4. Partnerships and Integrations: Collaborations with other projects and platforms can enhance the utility of zkPass tokens, broadening their use cases and driving adoption.

Meet the zkPass Team

The zkPass team is a dynamic group of professionals, each bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to the table. Their collective knowledge in blockchain, cryptocurrency, and marketing is shaping zkPass into a leading privacy protocol in the Web3 space. Let’s introduce some of the prominent members:

Bing Jiang: With a rich history as an engineer and vice president of technology and mobile development at NTT DoCoMo in Japan, Bing Jiang transitioned to a full-stack engineering role. Today, he leads the technical team at zkPass, steering the project towards innovative solutions in privacy technology.

Joshua Peng: Dr. Peng, a Ph.D. holder in Structural Engineering and Computing from the University of Missouri, is the strategic mind behind zkPass’s architectural design. His academic background and practical experience are invaluable assets in the development of the protocol.

Annie Muser Z: Annie’s impressive career includes stints at prestigious firms like PWC, Citi Global Markets Asia, and Mason Stevens. At zkPass, she is instrumental in macro market analysis, guiding token development, and overseeing the project’s financial health.

Guide: How to Use zkPass

1. Setup: To start using zkPass, you need to create a digital identity. This involves setting up a cryptographic key, which is like a digital signature that verifies your identity.

2. Proving Information: When you need to prove something, zkPass creates a zero-knowledge proof. For example, if you need to prove your age, zkPass generates a proof that shows you are over 18 without revealing your exact birthdate.

3. Verification: The person or system that needs to verify your information can check the proof without seeing any of your private details. They can trust that the proof is valid because of the secure cryptographic protocols zkPass uses.

4. Transactions: In a financial transaction, zkPass ensures that the necessary conditions are met (like having enough funds) without revealing your financial details. This keeps your transactions secure and private.

Conclusion

zkPass is a revolutionary technology that enhances privacy and security in the digital world. By using zero-knowledge proofs, cryptographic protocols, and secure multiparty computation, zkPass allows you to prove important information without revealing any personal details. Its applications in identity verification, financial transactions, and online voting demonstrate its versatility and potential to make digital interactions safer and more private. As technology continues to evolve, zkPass represents a significant step towards protecting our personal information in an increasingly connected world.