Zero-Knowledge Proofs, ELi5: How to Prove a Secret Without Revealing It

Intro

Ever wanted to prove something without actually giving it away?
That’s the magic of zero-knowledge proofs (zkps).
They’re a bit like saying “trust me, I know the answer” - but with math proving it, so the other person can be 99.999% sure without seeing the answer.

This isn’t sci-fi math. it’s the foundation of private crypto transactions - and it’s what makes Azguard wallet tick.

What are zkps?

At their core, zkps let you prove that a statement is true without revealing any other information.

• You prove something (the prover)
• Someone checks it (the verifier)
• And the “knowledge” part stays hidden

In crypto terms: zkps mean you can transact onchain without broadcasting your personal details to the entire world.

Why they matter

Blockchains are powerful but… they’re a little too public.
Every tx, every wallet, every move is visible.

Zkps flip that.

• They make privacy the default.
• They let you use defi, send payments, and interact with apps - without turning your wallet into an open diary.

How zkps actually work (plain version)

Imagine a maze.
You know the secret path through it.
Instead of telling me the path, you just walk through and pop out the other side.

• If you succeed, i know you must know the way
• But i never learn the actual path

That’s a zero-knowledge proof: proof without disclosure.

The Ali Baba cave example

This is the most famous illustration of zkps (wikipedia):

Picture a circular cave with two paths, left (A) and right (B). At the end of the cave, there’s a locked door connecting the two paths.

• Peggy (the prover) wants to show she knows the secret word that opens the door.
• Victor (the verifier) waits outside while peggy enters randomly through path A or B.
• Victor then shouts which path she should return from.

If Peggy doesn’t know the secret, she can only get it right half the time (she’ll be stuck if asked to come out the other way).
But if she does know the secret, she can always open the door inside and exit through whichever path Victor chooses.

After enough rounds, Victor is convinced Peggy knows the secret—without ever learning what the word is.

That’s zero-knowledge in action.

Types of zkps (light version)

• Interactive: back-and-forth challenges (like a quiz)
• Non-interactive: a single proof that anyone can verify (way more efficient)
• Zk-snarks: are one of the leading standards for ethereum scaling and privacy - fast, compact, and secure

Aztec network (the backbone of Azguard wallet) uses zk-snarks to batch transactions into zk-rollups - scaling ethereum while making privacy the default.

Azguard + zkps

With zkps, Azguard wallet can:

• Shield your balances + transactions from public view
• Enable private defi interactions
• Keep fees low through zk-rollups

It’s the same ethereum you know, but with privacy and scalability added through Aztec’s zk-rollup layer.

Final thought

Zkps aren’t just math tricks - they’re the future of how we’ll all use crypto.
Azguard makes them simple: just open your wallet, and privacy works by default.

The TL;DR

• Zero-knowledge proofs = proving without revealing.
• Azguard wallet = zkps in action.