From Transparent Proof to Transparent Compute

Jason Teutsch (Truebit)

Levin’s “transparent proof” opened the field of probabilistically checkable proofs (PCP) more than 30 years ago, yet we have only recently begun to realize its practical implications. In a world where succinct, non-interactive arguments of knowledge (SNARKs) can simulate general instruction set architectures, and where “AirBnB for your GPU” has become dangerously popular among startups, society has collectively flagged verification as a critical trend. An emerging certification model, which we call “transparent compute,” plainly hearkens back to PCP roots without appealing to exotic cryptography or “prover” dispensation.