Episode 105: Alan Szepieniec on Hash Functions & Supersonic SNARKs

In this week’s episode, we catchup with Alan Szepieniec, a researchers at Nervos and co-author of the Supersonics (https://eprint.iacr.org/2019/1229.pdf) paper & the Marvellous family of Hash Functions (https://eprint.iacr.org/2019/426.pdf) (which specify the Vision/Rescue cyphers). We chat about his past work in cryptography, how the Supersonics paper came to be, and dive into the new generation of hash functions emerging, including the Marvelous universe.
For more info, please have a look at these resources and past episodes!
- Design of Symmetric-Key Primitives for Advanced Cryptographic Protocols (the Marvellous (Vision/Rescue) paper) (https://eprint.iacr.org/2019/426.pdf)
- Transparent SNARKs from DARK Compilers (Supersonic paper) (https://eprint.iacr.org/2019/1229.pdf)
- On a Generalization of Substitution-Permutation Networks: The HADES Design Strategy (https://eprint.iacr.org/2019/1107.pdf) - Competing designs for arithmetization-friendly hash functions
- Starkad and Poseidon: New Hash Functions for Zero Knowledge Proof Systems (https://eprint.iacr.org/2019/458.pdf)
- MiMC https://eprint.iacr.org/2016/492.pdf and attack https://eprint.iacr.org/2019/951.pdf
- Jarvis and Friday, the first members of the Marvellous universe (may they rest in peace) https://eprint.iacr.org/2018/1098.pdf
- ... and the Groebner basis attack that killed them: https://eprint.iacr.org/2019/419.pdf
And here are some of the previous ZKP episodes that we mention:
- Ben Fisch Episode (https://www.zeroknowledge.fm/88)
- Benedikt Bunz Episode (https://www.zeroknowledge.fm/40)
- Joseph Bonneau Episode (https://www.zeroknowledge.fm/103)
- Eli Ben-Sasson Episode (https://www.zeroknowledge.fm/96)
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In this week’s episode, we catchup with Alan Szepieniec, a researchers at Nervos and co-author of the Supersonics paper & the Marvellous family of Hash Functions (which specify the Vision/Rescue cyphers). We chat about his past work in cryptography, how the Supersonics paper came to be, and dive into the new generation of hash functions emerging, including the Marvelous universe.

For more info, please have a look at these resources and past episodes!

Design of Symmetric-Key Primitives for Advanced Cryptographic Protocols (the Marvellous (Vision/Rescue) paper)
Transparent SNARKs from DARK Compilers (Supersonic paper)
On a Generalization of Substitution-Permutation Networks: The HADES Design Strategy - Competing designs for arithmetization-friendly hash functions
Starkad and Poseidon: New Hash Functions for Zero Knowledge Proof Systems
MiMC https://eprint.iacr.org/2016/492.pdf and attack https://eprint.iacr.org/2019/951.pdf
Jarvis and Friday, the first members of the Marvellous universe (may they rest in peace) https://eprint.iacr.org/2018/1098.pdf
... and the Groebner basis attack that killed them: https://eprint.iacr.org/2019/419.pdf

And here are some of the previous ZKP episodes that we mention:

Ben Fisch Episode
Benedikt Bunz Episode
Joseph Bonneau Episode
Eli Ben-Sasson Episode

If you like what we do:

Follow us on Twitter - @zeroknowledgefm

Join us on Telegram

Support our Gitcoin Grant

Support us on the ZKPatreon

Or directly here:

ETH: 0xC0FFEE1B5083230a5154F55f253B6b6ae8F29B1a

BTC: 1cafekGa3podM4fBxPSQc6RCEXQNTK8Zz

ZEC: t1R2bujRF3Hzte9ALHpMJvY8t5kb9ut9SpQ