Definition ∞ Sublinear proving time refers to the computational efficiency of generating a cryptographic proof where the time required to create the proof grows slower than linearly with the size of the statement being proven. This means that as the amount of data or computation to be verified increases, the time to produce the proof increases at a diminishing rate. This property is highly desirable for scalability in zero-knowledge proofs and other cryptographic protocols. It significantly enhances efficiency.
Context ∞ Sublinear proving time is a critical advancement in zero-knowledge proof systems, which are fundamental to privacy and scalability solutions in blockchain technology. Protocols achieving this efficiency can enable verifiable computation for extremely large datasets or complex transactions without incurring prohibitive computational costs. This development is crucial for the practical implementation of privacy-preserving decentralized applications and for scaling blockchain networks to handle global transaction volumes. News in cryptography often highlights breakthroughs in this area.