In brief
This page is source-sensitive. Treat application, covenant, proof, and readiness wording as bounded by the listed public sources and Open Questions.
What this page explains#
The Groth16 starter is a draft implementation checklist for binding proof output to a covenant transition without citing local lab files as authority. This page sits in ZK, Groth16, And RISC Zero Succinct. It gives the topic a plain-language handle first, then shows the working idea, the mechanism, the source trail, and any limits that still matter. This category separates proof verification from application validity. Groth16 and RISC Zero Succinct can verify selected statements, while covenant scripts, successor checks, source limits, and accepted evidence still carry separate responsibility.
The writing follows a simple Kaspa documentation pattern: answer the practical question first, then link outward for details. The closest public sources for this page are DOC-TOCCATA-INLINE-ZK, RK-ZK-GROTH16, RK-ZK-GROTH16-ERRORS, PAPER-GROTH16, RK-COVENANTS. Local notes can help choose what to explain, but public-facing references resolve to upstream websites, repositories, papers, release pages, or docs.
How to think about it#
The practical model starts by naming the layer that owns the topic: wallet use, node operation, consensus, transaction validation, Toccata script behavior, tooling, or research. From there, the page shows which public source can support the explanation and where the explanation becomes incomplete.
For Groth16 Transition Starter, the model is built around these anchors: define the statement and public inputs; serialize verifying key and proof in expected form; set compute budget and script stack; validate successor output and covenant binding; observe accepted evidence and record negative tests after public evidence exists. This model is useful, but it does not encode every constant, branch, error type, or edge case. Those details belong in the source path and the source notes.
How it works#
1. define the statement and public inputs. Groth16 material should identify the statement, circuit, verifying key, proof bytes, and public inputs before discussing Kaspa script integration. A valid Groth16 proof means the verifier accepted that statement under that key and input set. It does not by itself prove that the successor output, covenant ID, network, fee, or accepted-state evidence is correct.
2. serialize verifying key and proof in expected form. Groth16 material should identify the statement, circuit, verifying key, proof bytes, and public inputs before discussing Kaspa script integration. A valid Groth16 proof means the verifier accepted that statement under that key and input set. It does not by itself prove that the successor output, covenant ID, network, fee, or accepted-state evidence is correct.
3. set compute budget and script stack. Script validation still owns the surrounding transaction rule. Even if a proof verifies, the script must receive the expected stack items, check the relevant transaction context, and enforce the successor output or state commitment that the application requires.
4. validate successor output and covenant binding. A proof output is useful only when the application binds it to the old state, new state, covenant ID or script context, and public input or journal. Without that binding, a valid proof may still be irrelevant to the UTXO transition being spent.
5. observe accepted evidence and record negative tests after public evidence exists. Proof success is not accepted evidence. After local construction and script validation, the spend still needs transaction validation, mempool or block inclusion context, virtual-state acceptance, and an observable state surface such as UTXO or indexer evidence.
This mechanism section separates proof verification from application validity. A verifier result still needs script binding, covenant checks, transaction validity, and accepted-state evidence before an app claim is closed.
How to check it#
| Step | Check | Evidence gate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check define the statement and public inputs. | Read DOC-TOCCATA-INLINE-ZK, RK-ZK-GROTH16, RK-ZK-GROTH16-ERRORS; verify proof format, tag, cost, public input or journal binding, and script failure cases. |
| 2 | Check serialize verifying key and proof in expected form. | Read DOC-TOCCATA-INLINE-ZK, RK-ZK-GROTH16, RK-ZK-GROTH16-ERRORS; verify proof format, tag, cost, public input or journal binding, and script failure cases. |
| 3 | Check set compute budget and script stack. | Read DOC-TOCCATA-INLINE-ZK, RK-ZK-GROTH16, RK-ZK-GROTH16-ERRORS; verify proof format, tag, cost, public input or journal binding, and script failure cases. |
| 4 | Check validate successor output and covenant binding. | Read DOC-TOCCATA-INLINE-ZK, RK-ZK-GROTH16, RK-ZK-GROTH16-ERRORS; verify proof format, tag, cost, public input or journal binding, and script failure cases. |
| 5 | Check observe accepted evidence and record negative tests after public evidence exists. | Read DOC-TOCCATA-INLINE-ZK, RK-ZK-GROTH16, RK-ZK-GROTH16-ERRORS; verify proof format, tag, cost, public input or journal binding, and script failure cases. |
When using this page for ZK material, separate proof verification from application validity. Check the verifier path, proof format, public inputs or journal, compute cost, covenant binding, failure cases, and accepted evidence before claiming a transition is valid.
Related Pages#
- 09-negative-cases-and-failure-matrix
- zk-groth16-risczero
- 11-risc-zero-transition-starter