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Zero Knowledge Proofs
Zero knowledge proofs are interactive protocols between two parties - an approver and a verifier. The approver wants to convince the verifier that they know a secret, without revealing anything about the secret itself.
Finding Waldo
Let's start with an example. Imagine Waldo is hidden in a park, and the goal is to find him. The approver (let's call them Waldo) wants to prove to the verifier that they know where Waldo is, without actually telling the verifier the location.
One way to do this is by using a large black sheet of paper with a small hole in it. Waldo can place the sheet over the park image, positioning it so that Waldo appears in the hole. This proves that Waldo knows Waldo's location, without revealing it to the verifier.