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 ZK review playbook turns a claim into source work: docs, KIP, tags, costs, verifier source, tests, releases, and claim labels. 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, KIP-0016, RK-ZK-TAGS, RK-ZK-GROTH16, RK-ZK-RISC0. 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 ZK Source Path And Review Playbook, the model is built around these anchors: start from docs and KIP status; inspect tag and cost source; inspect verifier source and tests; compare checked commit to release evidence; update claim labels and Open Questions. 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. start from docs and KIP status. ZK verification is a constrained script operation, not a general declaration that an application transition is sound. Tags select verifier paths, costs decide whether the transaction can afford the check, and public inputs or journals bind the proof to the state claim. The covenant or application still has to validate the surrounding transition, observe acceptance, and test negative cases.
2. inspect tag and cost source. Proof verification consumes metered script work. The page has to connect verifier tags and proof sizes to pricing or mass evidence, then show how under-budget, malformed, or mismatched verifier inputs fail before accepted-state claims are made.
3. inspect verifier source and tests. ZK verification is a constrained script operation, not a general declaration that an application transition is sound. Tags select verifier paths, costs decide whether the transaction can afford the check, and public inputs or journals bind the proof to the state claim. The covenant or application still has to validate the surrounding transition, observe acceptance, and test negative cases.
4. compare checked commit to release evidence. Readiness pages are evidence gates. A testnet result is useful only with network name, date, release or branch, node/wallet/tool versions, and accepted evidence. Release notes and source paths support stronger claims; old testnet observations remain historical unless refreshed.
5. update claim labels and Open Questions. ZK verification is a constrained script operation, not a general declaration that an application transition is sound. Tags select verifier paths, costs decide whether the transaction can afford the check, and public inputs or journals bind the proof to the state claim. The covenant or application still has to validate the surrounding transition, observe acceptance, and test negative cases.
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 start from docs and KIP status. | Read DOC-TOCCATA-INLINE-ZK, KIP-0016, RK-ZK-TAGS; verify proof format, tag, cost, public input or journal binding, and script failure cases. |
| 2 | Check inspect tag and cost source. | Read DOC-TOCCATA-INLINE-ZK, KIP-0016, RK-ZK-TAGS; verify proof format, tag, cost, public input or journal binding, and script failure cases. |
| 3 | Check inspect verifier source and tests. | Read DOC-TOCCATA-INLINE-ZK, KIP-0016, RK-ZK-TAGS; verify proof format, tag, cost, public input or journal binding, and script failure cases. |
| 4 | Check compare checked commit to release evidence. | Read DOC-TOCCATA-INLINE-ZK, KIP-0016, RK-ZK-TAGS; verify proof format, tag, cost, public input or journal binding, and script failure cases. |
| 5 | Check update claim labels and Open Questions. | Read DOC-TOCCATA-INLINE-ZK, KIP-0016, RK-ZK-TAGS; 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#
- 12-testing-evidence-and-readiness
- zk-groth16-risczero
- 14-zk-faq-and-misreadings