Bitcoin Consensus Proof

Description

This project aims to provide a Zero Knowledge (ZK) Proof for Bitcoin-related computations, utilizing Risc0 zkVM (Zero-Knowledge Virtual Machine). The primary goal is to prove Bitcoin-related operations, such as transaction validation or proof of work, in a trustless and verifiable manner.

Project Overview

The project begins by leveraging Risc0's zkVM to perform computations and generate Zero-Knowledge proofs. Risc0 is a powerful tool that allows executing general-purpose programs while generating a cryptographic proof that attests to the correctness of the computation. For this project, it is used to:

• Validate block headers.
• Validate Bitcoin transactions.
• Validate Bitcoin Script execution (including ECDSA and Schnorr signature verification).
• Validate UTXO set changes.
• Demonstrate the integration of Bitcoin's functionality into a Zero-Knowledge framework.

Goals

While the initial focus proving Bitcoin related operations using Risc0 zkVM, the project envisions a broader application of Zero-Knowledge technology in the Bitcoin ecosystem. Planned future directions include:

• Faster Node Syncing: Anyone who wishes to run a Bitcoin node will be able to reach the current state of Bitcoin without downloading all the Bitcoin data (~637 GB as of February 10, 2025). And they will not have to validate this data as well. Only verifying the ZK Proof and downloading the UTXO set (~6.45 GB) will be enough.
• Optimizing Proof Performance: When using a zkVM system in general, the time/proving cost correlates with total number of execution cycles. Therefore, reducing the number of cycles is of utmost importance. There are a couple of ways to achieve this:
  • Utilizing precompiles implemented by Risc0
  • Executing operations done multiple times in Bitcoin Core, only once
  • Implementing functionality that is mathematically equivalent to Bitcoin Core behavior, but with less operations/cycles.

Getting Started (For Demonstration Purposes)

First, install Risc0 toolchain. You can refer to here. Also install Bitcoin. Now, start the regtest server with the following command:

bitcoind -regtest -rpcuser=admin -rpcpassword=admin -rpcport=18443 -fallbackfee=0.00001 -wallet=admin -txindex=1

Create a wallet:

bitcoin-cli -regtest -rpcuser=admin -rpcpassword=admin -rpcport=18443 createwallet "admin"

Mine some blocks:

bitcoin-cli -regtest -rpcuser=admin -rpcpassword=admin -rpcport=18443 generatetoaddress 101 $(bitcoin-cli -regtest -rpcuser=admin -rpcpassword=admin -rpcport=18443 getnewaddress)

Now, to simulate continuous block mining, run:

#!/bin/bash
while true; do
  echo "Generating 1 blocks to a new address..."
  bitcoin-cli -regtest -rpcuser=admin -rpcpassword=admin -rpcport=18443 generatetoaddress 1 $(bitcoin-cli -regtest -rpcuser=admin -rpcpassword=admin -rpcport=18443 getnewaddress)
  echo "Command executed. Waiting for 30 seconds..."
  sleep 30
done

Now first run (for the server):

BITCOIN_NETWORK=regtest RISC0_DEV_MODE=1 cargo run --package host --bin server

Wait some time to allow the server to sync. Then, run the client:

BITCOIN_NETWORK=regtest RISC0_DEV_MODE=1 cargo run --package host --bin client

Usage

• TBD