Matter Labs Abandons ZK Trademark Rights Application Following Discussion
Recently, Matter Labs, a Zero Knowledge (ZK) proof application company and developer of ZKsync, caused controversy by applying for trademark registration of their token name “ZK.” This resulted in a backlash from other ZK technology application providers, such as Starkware, and researchers, who believe that Matter Labs is encroaching upon the public domain and disregarding the collective knowledge of others.
In a statement released on June 3rd, Matter Labs announced that they have decided to withdraw all trademark applications related to the name “ZK” after receiving feedback from many parties.
Matter Labs’ tweet also included an “ambiguous” statement: the discussion results showed that it is difficult to find a group that is universally recognized as impartial and neutral. While certain solutions may be suitable for Ethereum, they may not be applicable on a global scale. In other words, finding a universally accepted neutral group on a global scale is nearly impossible, and even methods that are effective in specific contexts like Ethereum may not be suitable worldwide.
What is Zero Knowledge (ZK)?
Zero Knowledge (ZK) is a cryptographic technology that allows one party (the prover) to prove the authenticity of certain information to another party (the verifier) without revealing the information itself. This technology has wide-ranging applications in privacy and security, particularly in digital identity verification, blockchain, and privacy protection protocols.
Zero Knowledge proofs have three main characteristics:
1. Completeness: If the prover possesses certain information, they can convince the verifier of its authenticity.
2. Soundness: If the prover doesn’t possess certain information, they cannot convince the verifier of its authenticity.
3. Zero-Knowledgeness: During the proof process, the verifier doesn’t gain any additional knowledge about the information, except for the fact that it is authentic.
For example, suppose you know the solution to a maze (the path from the entrance to the exit) and you want to prove to your friend that you know the solution without revealing the specific path. You can use a Zero Knowledge proof method to achieve this, convincing your friend that you indeed know the solution without them learning any details about it.
Zero Knowledge proofs are particularly useful in blockchain technology, such as in privacy-centric cryptocurrencies like Zcash, where they are used to prove the legitimacy of transactions while maintaining transaction privacy.
Matter Labs
StarkWare
ZK
zkSync
