a16z Crypto updates Jolt zkVM and questions the industry's misuse of the "ZK" concept

Odaily Planet Daily reports that venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz’s A16z Crypto recently published a blog post providing technical updates on its open-source Jolt zkVM, while also pointing out the widespread misuse of the “ZK (Zero-Knowledge)” concept in the industry.

A16z states that many so-called zkVMs do not actually possess true zero-knowledge properties unless an additional, more costly “wrapping” process is performed. This process typically involves recursive proofs, where the zkVM’s proof is verified again within another proof system that genuinely has zero-knowledge features. This not only increases computational costs but often requires a “trusted setup,” thereby sacrificing system transparency.

The article notes that in many developer contexts, “zk” has gradually become a shorthand for “succinctness,” meaning small proof size and fast verification, rather than true zero-knowledge privacy protection.

A16z believes that as the industry’s demand for privacy increases, this conceptual confusion is becoming a problem. Genuine zero-knowledge proofs should primarily focus on protecting the privacy of the prover’s sensitive data, not just providing efficient verification.

Meanwhile, A16z also announced the introduction of the NovaBlindFold folding scheme for Jolt zkVM to enhance its privacy capabilities, making the virtual machine more suitable for privacy-focused applications.