zkPDF and zkID with Vikas Rushi and Ying Tong

In this episode, Anna Rose (x.com/annarrose) and Kobi Gurkan (x.com/kobigurk) chat with Vikas Rushi (x.com/vikas_rushi) from PSE (x.com/PrivacyEthereum), and Ying Tong (x.com/therealyingtong) to explore two topics at the intersection of ZK and the real-world data: zkPDF and zkID. First they dive into zkPDF (pse.dev/blog/zkpdf-unlocking-verifiable-data), a set of tools for proving facts on digitally signed PDFs. Vikas talks about the challenges of parsing data inside zkVMs—working with decades-old specifications that use many different encodings, and tackling practical use-cases like bank statements and ID verification. They also explain how issuers, such as India’s DigiLocker, can generate proofs in a way that protects individual privacy.

Next they cover github.com/privacy-scaling-explorations/zkID and the EF’s work on building a system that would meet the EU’s Digital Identity Framework requirements ahead of its 2026 rollout. Ying Tong explains how the EF’s work on zkID differs from existing zk-based identity projects, particularly through its device-binding requirements, the cryptographic community’s feedback to the EU Commission, the trade-offs between proof systems, PSE’s work on standards and more. They wrap up with a chat about the challenges of revocation in both systems, and what’s next for the projects.

Related Links
• Episode 367: Local-First with grjte and Goblin Oats (zeroknowledge.fm/podcast/367)
• Episode 366: Bringing ID Onchain with Self (zeroknowledge.fm/podcast/366)
• Episode 363: Bringing ZK to Google Wallet with Abhi and Matteo (zeroknowledge.fm/podcast/363)
• Episode 362: zkTLS with Maddy from Reclaim (zeroknowledge.fm/podcast/362)
• Episode 358: Building ZK Registries Onchain with Rarimo (zeroknowledge.fm/podcast/358)
• Episode 353: Making ZK More Human with ZK Email (zeroknowledge.fm/podcast/353)
• Episode 330: Frameworks for Programmable Privacy with Ying Tong and Bryan Gillespie (zeroknowledge.fm/podcast/330)
• Community Privacy Residency (community-privacy.github.io)
• Anon Aadhaar (github.com/anon-aadhaar/anon-aadhaar)
• DigiLocker (digilocker.gov.in)
• zkID Github (github.com/privacy-scaling-explorations/zkID)
• zk-promises: Anonymous Moderation, Reputation, and Blocking from Anonymous Credentials with Callbacks (eprint.iacr.org/2024/1260)

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Read transcript (github.com/ZeroKnowledgefm/episode-transcripts…)