zk-STARKs

zk-STARKs (Zero-Knowledge Scalable Transparent Arguments of Knowledge) use hash-based cryptography and require no trusted setup ceremony. Starknet and StarkWare products built their stack on STARKs, emphasizing transparency and post-quantum-friendly assumptions.

Public parameters derive from public randomness — no secret toxic waste. This removes a major trust assumption from SNARK systems, at the cost of larger proof sizes that rollups amortize across many transactions.

STARK proving time scales favorably for very large computations. Verification remains fast even when proofs are bigger than SNARKs. Teams weigh proof size budgets, setup trust tolerance, and existing tooling when picking a stack.