Circuit Size

Definition ∞ Circuit size represents the total number of logical operations in a cryptographic circuit. This metric signifies the total count of elementary gates or operations required to express a computation within a cryptographic circuit, primarily used in zero-knowledge proof systems. It determines the memory footprint and the overall computational burden for both proof generation and verification. A smaller circuit size leads to more compact proofs and faster verification.
Context ∞ When discussing zero-knowledge proofs in digital asset news, circuit size is a vital parameter for assessing the practical feasibility and resource demands of various protocols. Efforts to minimize circuit size are ongoing, as this directly influences the cost and speed of privacy-preserving transactions on blockchain networks. Advances in circuit size reduction contribute to making these complex cryptographic tools more accessible and efficient.