Glossary
Glossary
A reference of core terms used throughout SnarkSide’s documentation, with definitions grounded in applied cryptography, zero-knowledge protocols, and intent-based decentralized finance.
A
Arithmetic Circuit A computational model used in zkSNARKs where computation is expressed as a sequence of addition and multiplication gates over a finite field. Circuits define the set of constraints that a valid proof must satisfy.
Arity The number of inputs to a hash function or cryptographic primitive. Poseidon, for example, has variable arity depending on use case (e.g., 3, 6, 8).
B
Batch Matching Aggregating multiple matched trade intents into a single proof to reduce gas costs. Matched batches are submitted on-chain with one SNARK.
BN254 A Barreto–Naehrig elliptic curve with a 254-bit prime field used in Ethereum's zkSNARK implementations and supported by most ZK rollups.
C
CipherVault SnarkSide’s shielded margin system built on a UTXO model. Each vault position is committed as a note, nullified when spent, and unlinked from wallet identity.
Circom A domain-specific language and compiler for defining zero-knowledge circuits. It compiles constraints to R1CS format, which is used to generate proofs.
Circuit Hash A cryptographic commitment to a specific set of ZK circuit constraints, ensuring that verification logic corresponds exactly to expected proof behavior.
Constraint System The set of equations that a valid witness must satisfy. For zkSNARKs, this typically refers to R1CS (Rank-1 Constraint System).
D
DarkMatch SnarkSide’s off-chain intent matching engine that uses secure multiparty computation (MPC) and encrypted queueing to preserve order flow privacy.
Domain Separation A technique used to prevent misuse of cryptographic primitives by using different constants or inputs for different contexts.
E
Ephemeral Key A short-lived public key used in intents to encrypt payloads or participate in MPC. Not linked to any identity or stealth address.
F
Field Element An element of the prime field 𝔽ₚ used in ZK arithmetic. All circuit operations in SnarkSide operate over this field.
Full Round In Poseidon hashing, a round where the nonlinear S-box is applied to all elements of the state.
G
Groth16 A zkSNARK proving system with succinct proofs and efficient verifiers. Used in SnarkSide for all proof generation and on-chain verification.
H
Halo2 An advanced proving system supporting recursive proof composition. Under experimentation in SnarkSide for longer-term scalability.
I
Intent A signed, encrypted expression of a user’s trading preferences (e.g., long 10x BTC). Matched off-chain, proven on-chain, never publicly visible.
Intent Hash A Poseidon commitment to all fields of an intent, used as its unique fingerprint in match validation.
L
Liquidation Proof A zero-knowledge proof that a vault is insolvent, generated without revealing user identity or position structure.
M
MDS Matrix A linear mixing matrix used in the Poseidon hash function to ensure diffusion across the state in each round.
Merkle Tree A binary tree of hashes used to represent sets of commitments (e.g., UTXOs), enabling succinct proof of membership without revealing index or siblings.
N
Nullifier A cryptographic token derived from a note commitment and a secret, used to mark a note as spent while preserving privacy.
Nonce A one-time random value used to prevent replay of commitments or proofs.
O
Oblivion Pool The shielded liquidity pool in SnarkSide. LP contributions are committed privately, and earnings are distributed via ZK claims.
P
Partial Round In Poseidon, a round where the nonlinear function (S-box) is applied only to one element, used to reduce constraints.
Poseidon Hash A SNARK-friendly hash function optimized for circuits. Used for all commitments, nullifiers, and identity-independent hashes.
Proof-of-Execution A SNARK that proves a relayer has validly matched intents and committed state transitions without revealing details.
R
Relayer An off-chain actor that collects encrypted intents, computes matchings, generates SNARKs, and submits proof batches to the chain.
Replay Protection Mechanisms (e.g., nonces, nullifiers) used to ensure that encrypted actions cannot be re-submitted or duplicated.
S
SNARK Succinct Non-interactive Argument of Knowledge. A proof system that enables verifying a computation without revealing its inputs.
Stealth Address A one-time address derived from a public key, used to receive funds or positions anonymously.
T
Trusted Setup An initialization phase for SNARKs like Groth16 where toxic waste is generated and must be securely destroyed to prevent backdoors.
Transcript A log of public proof interactions used in Fiat-Shamir transformation. In SnarkSide, transcripts are constrained within circuits.
U
UTXO Unspent Transaction Output. Each margin position in SnarkSide is modeled as a UTXO, providing isolation, privacy, and nullifier-based control.
V
Verifier Contract The on-chain Solidity logic that verifies SNARK proofs against their expected inputs and constraint hashes.
Vault Transition A movement from one vault state to another (e.g., deposit → trade → close), proven in ZK via poseidon-hashed transitions.
W
Witness A complete set of inputs satisfying all circuit constraints, known only to the prover and never revealed publicly.
Witness Generator Off-chain software that constructs valid witness inputs for a given action (e.g., a trade or liquidation).
This glossary is continually updated as the SnarkSide protocol evolves and integrates new primitives and circuit-level techniques. For definitions of additional cryptographic terms, see the Cryptographic Infrastructure section.
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