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Front-running Attack Demo

πŸ” ZK Circuits: Validity Proofs Explained

Learn how ZK-SNARKs enable trustless computation verification

What are ZK-Rollup Circuits?

**ZK-Rollup circuits** are the computational backbone of zero-knowledge rollupsβ€”layer 2 scaling solutions that batch thousands of transactions and prove their validity with a single cryptographic proof. These circuits translate blockchain state transitions into mathematical constraints that can be verified in constant time.

Instead of replaying every transaction on-chain, ZK-Rollups use circuits to generate succinct proofs that the state transition was computed correctly. This enables **100-1000x scaling** while maintaining Ethereum's security guarantees.

πŸ” How ZK Circuits Enable Scalability

1.
Off-Chain Computation
Process 1000s of transactions off-chain in a single batch
2.
Circuit Encoding
Convert state transitions into arithmetic constraints (R1CS/Plonk)
3.
Proof Generation
Create succinct proof (192-384 bytes) that computation was correct
4.
On-Chain Verification
Verify proof in ~300k gas regardless of batch size (vs 21k per tx)

Interactive: Circuit Complexity Explorer

Explore different types of ZK circuits used in rollups and understand their complexity tradeoffs.

Simple Arithmetic

Basic addition/multiplication circuits

Gates
3
Constraints
5
Proof Size
128 bytes
Complexity
Low
Primary Use Case
Learning fundamentals

Real-World ZK-Rollups

zkSync
Plonk circuits
~100k constraints per batch
StarkNet
STARK proofs
Post-quantum secure
Scroll
Halo2 circuits
EVM equivalence

Circuit Design Principles

⚑ Minimize Constraints

Fewer constraints = faster proving time. Optimize by reusing intermediate values and avoiding redundant checks.

πŸ”’ Native Field Operations

Operations in the circuit's native field (typically BN254) are cheap. Non-native arithmetic (like Ethereum's 256-bit) is expensive.

🎯 Batching Strategy

Amortize proof cost across many transactions. A 1000-tx batch has same verification cost as 1 tx.

πŸ›‘οΈ Security vs Performance

Balance circuit size with security requirements. Under-constrained circuits can be exploited.