• Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange, announced on February 10th that it will be using zk-SNARKs as part of its proof-of-reserves verification system.
• This new technology should greatly increase the safety and openness of the verification procedure while keeping sensitive information private.
• Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao believes this upgrade will provide users with increased privacy and security.
Binance Introduces zk-SNARKs
Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange, stated on February 10 that it will be using zk-SNARKs as part of its proof-of-reserves verification system. This cutting-edge technology should greatly increase the safety and openness of the verification procedure while keeping sensitive information private.
Why Proof Of Reserve Verification Is Important
Proof-of-reserve verification became an important part of the cryptocurrency market after the FTX collapsed in 2022. It is used to prove that exchanges have the assets they claim to have. Binance was an early adopter of this system but has recently upgraded to incorporate zk-SNARKs for even greater security and transparency.
Increased Security And Privacy
Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao believes this upgrade will provide users with increased privacy and security: “This is an important step forward in PoR technology…anyone in the industry can take advantage of our open source PoR system so that we can provide all users with the assurance they need to feel SAFU.”
Other Exchanges Adopt Proof Of Reserve Verification
In order to boost transparency after FTX’s collapse, other major exchanges including Crypto.com, Bybit, and OKX introduced a Merkle tree based proof of reserve mechanism as well. However, some still question the reliability of these systems and refuse to accept them at face value.
Conclusion
The use of zk-SNARKs by Binance provides users with increased privacy and security when verifying reserves held by exchanges like itself. Other exchanges are also taking similar steps towards increasing transparency but many still criticize their verifications systems’ reliability since FTX’s collapse two years ago.