Special thanks to Luca Donnoh for the feedback.

Jumping right into the second part of your ZK-STARK series, we're focusing on the FRI protocol and its goal of proving the knowledge of a low-degree polynomial. This protocol is a crucial element in the ZK-STARK framework.

In our last piece, we took a deep dive into polynomial commitment schemes, taking a closer look at the renowned KZG10 scheme. Despite many benefits of KZG10, it has a notable shortcoming - the need for a trusted setup. Addressing this issue, we will shift our focus to transparent proofs, also known as zk-STARKs, which eliminate the need for any trusted party.

Vitalik's recent article, “Don’t Overload Ethereum’s Consensus,” reignited discussions about restaking within the Ethereum community. In this write-up, I aim to shed light on what restaking is and particularly zoom into EigenLayer, the project at the forefront of these conversations.

In the first part of the article (refer here), we introduced zero-knowledge proofs and their different types. We started constructing a zk-SNARK for a simple problem by creating an arithmetic circuit, representing it as an R1CS and ultimately converting it into polynomials using QAP. Now that the statement is in polynomial form and ready for cryptography, we'll examine the properties that make polynomials suitable for cryptographic use and investigate some other cryptographic tools available.

Are you searching for a way to understand zero-knowledge proofs from a technical perspective, but finding existing resources either too shallow or too convoluted? Look no further! This article is for those who, like myself, are not math wizzes, but still want to dive as deep as possible into the topic. So buckle up, and let's start with the basics.

Liquidity is the lifeblood of DeFi and is crucial for any market to function smoothly. Simply put, liquidity refers to the ability to buy or sell an asset quickly and at a price close to its true value. Liquidity is important for several reasons:

Lately, the DeFi space has emphasized the importance of long-term viability and profitability. This may be a shocking concept to some, but it's natural for protocols to be viewed in a similar way to traditional businesses. Thankfully, the old model of extracting value through inflation is fading away, and projects are now focused on providing actual value to their users.

What is Curve Finance and how does it work?