[knowaveragejoe]

This must be a mistake or misunderstanding, because "blockcrap" is hardly mentioned in contrast with examples like confirming someone is of age, meets certain insurance requirements or has certain financial status without revealing anything about them. No blockchain is needed in any of these examples.

[cyberax]

Part of growing up means realizing that cryptocrap is cryptocrap.

> examples like confirming someone is of age

When where are the companies that do that? Can I replace my Washington driving license with a ZKP that I can show to police officers or to enter a pub?

There are really no practical examples of the actual usages. Just hand-waving. And moreover, all the examples you provided make no sense. They are far better achieved using classic asymmetric systems.

[knowaveragejoe]

> Part of growing up

On the contrary, your sentiment reads less like wisdom and more like hardheadedness. I am glad there are plenty of others here who do not share such a narrow-minded sentiment.

The venn-diagram between cryptocurrency and ZKPs is not a circle, or really even close. They're a mathematical concept first and foremost, and thanks to crypto dumping tons of money into the scaling problem, now much more easily worked with in code across any application. So much for all cryptocrap being, well, cryptocrap!

Your example is terribly contrived. No, you won't replace your drivers license with a ZKP. But a service might validate that you're of age, or meet some other criteria, without you(or they) revealing actual information about yourself.

All of the examples I gave(none of which are my own, but from other commenters who are I'm sure happy to discuss further) require the context of established trust. "Classic asymmetric systems" have problems with this.

[cyberax]

Can you show me ANY actual practical use for cryptocrap outside of illegal transactions?

Like: "Company XYZ uses ABC to provide asset tracking, and it's now used by 99% of the DEF sector".

> The venn-diagram between cryptocurrency and ZKPs is not a circle, or really even close.

Then it should be treated as such, instead of trying to claim that it has practical applications.

[knowaveragejoe]

I think you both 1) didn't read the article 2) went into the comments assuming it's about cryptocurrency and brought your baggage on that subject with you. The article mentions them in an offhand way, ZKPs are independent of anything cryptocurrency related.

[cyberax]

Can you provide a single example of their actual use outside of cryptocrap?

[knowaveragejoe]

The general takeaway is that you can prove you know something without revealing what it is, or how you know!

If you can't think of the possibilities that unlocks beyond the examples others have already discussed(none of which were crypto related), that's a limitation on your end.