Workshop on Zero-Knowledge, Succinct Proofs and Symmetric Cryptography (ZKSC 2026)

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TU Wien Hauptgebäude — © TU Wien / Matthias Heisler

In recent years, important advances have been made in both zero-knowledge (ZK) and succinct proofs and in the design and cryptanalysis of symmetric cryptography (SC) primitives for privacy-preserving technologies. ZK and SC have traditionally developed in parallel – one rooted in complexity-theoretic and provable-security foundations, the other in symmetric-key cryptanalysis techniques and provable results over bit strings. Yet, today these areas are increasingly interconnected: the efficiency and security of modern ZK proofs and more general privacy-preserving systems often relies on the symmetric-key components in place.
The ZKSC 2026 Workshop aims to bring these areas closer together, bridging the zero-knowledge and symmetric-key cryptography communities to foster discussion, collaboration, to exchange perspectives, techniques, and open problems.

The topics of Interest for ZKSC include (non-exhaustive):

Recursive proof systems: properties and proofs
Proof systems whose languages are appropriate for symmetric-key (SK) primitives
Post-quantum security: hash-based proof systems
Lattice-based proof systems
Provably secure and efficient SK Arithmetization-Oriented (AO) modes
Efficiency of AO primitives
Algebraic cryptanalysis of SK primitives relevant to (zero-knowledge) proof systems
Cryptanalytic security bounds
SK cryptography under new proof-driven security notions specific to the ZK setting

Tentative List of Speakers

For further information, click on the profile pictures:

Lorenzo Grassi
Talk title: TBA

Ziyi Guan
Talk title: TBA

Abhishek Jain
Talk title: IVC without Random Oracles

Dmitry Khovratovich
Talk title: TBA

Ngoc Khanh Nguyen
Talk title: TBA

Michele Orrù
Talk title: TBA

Léo Perrin
Talk title: TBA

Christian Rechberger
Talk title: TBA

Arnab Roy
Talk title: TBA

Markus Schofnegger
Talk title: TBA

Justin Thaler
Talk title: TBA

Ivan Visconti
Talk title: TBA

Registration

As space is limited and to assist us in budget planning and cost estimation, we kindly request all interested participants to complete their registration by December 20, 2025.

The workshop offers financial support for early-career researchers in the form of lump-sum grants of up to 500 EUR, awarded on a demand basis.

Register now