
ZSL: Zk-Snarks for the Enterprise - n3x10e8
https://z.cash/blog/zsl.html
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runeks
I still haven't heard a convincing argument for why "the enterprise" would
have any need for a distributed ledger in the first place. It always amounts
to maybes and what-ifs. Usually, cooperating enterprises have a mutual trust
in each other, or they wouldn't have entered into the partnership in the first
place. A requirement for both trustlessness and anonymity doesn't make much
sense in this context.

As far as I can see, blockchains only really make sense if they're protected
by some sort of proof-of-work, in which case old data becomes increasingly
difficult to alter as more blocks are added to the chain. To me, it appears
that the concept of a blockchain was developed for this exact purpose in the
first place, and that without this requirement (old blocks accumulating proof-
of-work) there is no advantage to using a linked list of blocks.

~~~
sneak
"Having trust" and "operating as if you have trust" are two different things.
I can trust my management with spending authority, but I still have periodic
audits.

Trust is not binary.

Blockchains, via crypto, remove uncertainty from medium-trust relationships
that would otherwise incur overhead due to counterparty risk, allowing one to
replace it with the risk that e.g. SHA256 or ECDSA signatures have been
broken, which is usually orders of magnitude lower than squishy human being
behavior risks. (Presuming participating organizations have a way of keeping
their keys safe, which is expensive but solved.)

That overhead is significant, and entire multibillion dollar industries exist
around validating those trust relationships (accounting, auditing, settlement,
et c).

Imagine if you could replace them with software that doesn't have to take
anyone's word for it.

That's a big efficiency win.

~~~
runeks
Could you give a concrete example of how blockchain technology can reduce
costs associated with accounting, auditing and settlement? Just a single,
concrete example is all I'm looking for.

~~~
sneak
Securities exchanges usually have settlement as a distinct step from trading.
Blockchains as title make settlement faster, easier, and less expensive.

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throwanem
Stross fans will know what I mean when I say this nomenclature sounds like
something out of "A Colder War" [1]. Those who don't know what I mean are
strongly encouraged to follow that link, at the far end of which is a rather
good piece of short fiction that answers the question: "What if Lovecraft was
right - and Kubrick, in _Dr. Strangelove_ , was right, too?"

Better a ZK-SNARK than an XK-BOOJUM, I suppose...

[1]
[http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/stories/colderwar.htm](http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/stories/colderwar.htm)

~~~
arethuza
I think thats just a particular naming style used by people like the CIA:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_cryptonym](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_cryptonym)

e.g. MKUltra - the MK tells you it was sponsored by the Technical Services
Division

The UK had Rainbow Codes:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Rainbow_Codes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Rainbow_Codes)

e.g. Blue Bunny - a 10kt nuclear mine

Edit: I agree that _A Colder War_ is superb - wonderfully bleak ending (if you
like that kind of thing).

~~~
throwanem
Sure. But since neither XK nor ZK is known to have been used by CIA, and XK
_is_ known to be used in the novella, _and_ the snark/boojum contrast exists
and would fit well with the story, that was what I referenced.

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anjc
If Ethereum is going to implement Zk-Snarks, and there's already an enterprise
alliance with the Ethereum Foundation, and Ethereum offers benefits like smart
contracts and so on, why would enterprises use ZSL? (Genuine question)

~~~
n3x10e8
\- capitalist competition

\- excersize of ones specialization

\- different way to reach the goal

~~~
anjc
I mistakenly thought that there was some sort of relationship between ZEC's
Zk-Snarks implementation and Ethereum's future one.

So yeah this makes sense.

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ldite
For a moment there, I thought they meant this Enterprise:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_(computer)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_\(computer\))

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brighton36
Lol. This company's ponzi didnt take off so now they're going to offer
anonymity consulting for 'the enterprise'

~~~
Legogris
What makes Zcash a ponzi in your eyes?

~~~
brighton36
There is zero non-speculative users. The only reason to buy zcash is to sell
to greater fools. Early investors are paid by later investors.

~~~
blueprint
So therefore not all blockchains are ponzis.

