KZG Polynomial Commitment

Definition ∞ A KZG polynomial commitment is a cryptographic scheme that allows a party to commit to a polynomial and later prove its evaluation at a chosen point without revealing the polynomial itself. This method relies on elliptic curve pairings and offers extremely compact proof sizes, making it highly efficient for verification. It is a fundamental component in many advanced zero-knowledge proof systems and scalable blockchain architectures. The commitment provides strong security guarantees.
Context ∞ KZG polynomial commitments are a critical component in the development of scalable blockchain solutions, particularly for Ethereum’s sharding and data availability layers. A significant discussion point involves the trusted setup required for KZG, which presents a single point of failure if compromised. Ongoing research seeks to mitigate this risk through multi-party computation ceremonies and exploring trustless alternatives, aiming for broader and more secure adoption.