The StarkWare team, the developer of the second-layer Ethereum network StarkNet, has launched Stark Two (S-two) — a tool for checking ZK proofs on phones, laptops, and other everyday devices.
The solution is available in public alpha version. It will be deployed in the StarkNet mainnet later this year. S-two works on CPU, GPU, and "will soon be available in browsers."
The new iteration of the ZK prover from StarkWare allows generating cryptographic proofs on the client side, rather than relying on a server or cloud infrastructure. This opens up possibilities for faster and more confidential applications on the internet.
"S-two will open doors for new real-world use cases of ZK," explained co-founder and CEO of StarkWare Eli Ben-Sasson.
According to the developers, the ZK prover is 39 times faster than previous versions. This leap in performance ensures smoother functioning of privacy-enhancing applications, from private transactions and ZK-based identification to verifiable AI.
According to StarkWare representatives, developers can experiment with S-two — the alpha version supports hardware targets. The Kakarot, Nexus, ZAN, and AntChain OpenLabs teams have begun testing it.
COO of the company Oren Katz told Cointelegraph that S-two will allow for the use of privacy-preserving features in messaging, payments, and digital identification.
"You will be able to prove that the transfer was valid without showing your balance. Or confirm your identity without disclosing personal information," explained the executive.
According to Katz, even salary transfers can be made "on-chain" with full transparency and without disclosing sensitive information.
Let us remind you, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin called privacy the foundation of freedom.
Previously, the cryptographer noted progress in the practical implementation of fully autonomous ZK-protected private transfers.
