Ring signatures are a type of digital signature that allows someone to sign a message on behalf of a group without revealing which member actually created the signature. This means that it is possible to verify that the signature was made by someone in the group, but not exactly who. Ring signatures help to protect…
Bulletproofs are a type of cryptographic proof that lets someone show a statement is true without revealing any extra information. They are mainly used to keep transaction amounts private in cryptocurrencies, while still allowing others to verify that the transactions are valid. Bulletproofs are valued for being much shorter and faster than older privacy techniques,…
Schnorr signatures are a type of digital signature scheme used to prove the authenticity of digital messages or transactions. They are valued for their simplicity, efficiency, and strong security properties compared to other signature methods. Schnorr signatures allow multiple signatures to be combined into one, reducing the amount of data needed and improving privacy.
Verifiable Delay Functions, or VDFs, are special mathematical puzzles that require a certain amount of time to solve, no matter how much computing power is used, but their solutions can be checked quickly by anyone. They are designed so that even with many computers working together, the minimum time to solve the function cannot be…
Zero-Knowledge Proofs are methods in cryptography that let one person prove to another that they know a secret, without revealing the secret itself. This means information can be verified without sharing any details about it. These proofs help keep data private while still ensuring trust between parties.
A Merkle Tree is a way of organising data into a tree structure where each leaf node represents a piece of data and each non-leaf node is a hash of its child nodes. This structure allows for quick and secure verification of large sets of data, as any change in a single data point will…
State channels are a technique used in blockchain systems to allow two or more parties to carry out multiple transactions without needing to record each one on the blockchain. Instead, the parties communicate directly and only add the final result to the blockchain. This reduces costs and avoids delays caused by waiting for blockchain confirmations….
Byzantine Fault Tolerance is a property of computer systems that allows them to keep working correctly even if some parts fail or act unpredictably, including being malicious or sending incorrect information. It is particularly important in distributed systems, where multiple computers or nodes must agree on a decision even if some are unreliable. The term…
A fiat on-ramp is a service or platform that allows people to exchange traditional money, like pounds or euros, for digital assets such as cryptocurrencies. A fiat off-ramp does the opposite, enabling users to convert digital assets back into traditional money. These systems are essential for making digital assets accessible to everyday users and for…
Stablecoin collateralisation refers to the process of backing a digital currency, known as a stablecoin, with assets that help maintain its value. These assets can include traditional money, cryptocurrencies, or other valuable items. The goal is to keep the stablecoin’s price steady, usually linked to a currency like the US dollar or the euro. This…