BitDevs: Learning Bitcoin #7 - zkSNARKs with redshiftzero

Tonight we're learning how Bitcoin works! (Actually, tonight we're learning zkSNARKs). Atlanta BitDevs meetups are place for free and open Bitcoin education in Atlanta. Discussions will be technical but are open to people of all skill levels. Join the community and #LearnBitcoinTogether!

What should I expect?
Every first Wednesday of the month is a Learning Bitcoin session at ATL BitLab. This week's topic will be posted ahead of time at atlbit.dev. Sometimes it may be a reading discussion group, other times it might be a presentation or workshop.

Regardless, you do not need any prior knowledge to attend. Just come with an open mind.

Tonight's Topic

Cryptographic Protocol Design for UTXO-Based Decentralized Privacy

Bitcoin is valued for its non-custodial, peer-to-peer, and decentralized properties. However, passive observers can see the plaintext values of inputs and outputs, as well as the transaction graph. The talk will introduce shielded transactions from the highly influential ZCash Sapling protocol design, which rely on zk-SNARKs (Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Arguments of Knowledge) to validate state updates to the blockchain without revealing values or sender/recipient identities on chain.

Is this for me?
If you want to learn about bitcoin, then yes! While these sessions are engineering focused, many of our attendees are not engineers. Our crew also includes designers, hobbyists, product managers, entrepreneurs, and simply curious people who like to stay ahead of the curve with this technology.

Schedule
6:00pm - Doors open, networking and socializing with beverages
6:30pm - Presentation or discussion starts
7:50pm - Wrap-up
8:00pm - The group migrates to a nearby restaurant for dinner