Tomas Krnak
cryptologist | programmer | zk-proofs expert
Bio
I empower tech companies to understand and benefit from the magic of zero-knowledge proofs. My journey began in 2017, sparked by a fascination with blockchain and Zcash's shielded transactions. Since then, I’ve explored every layer of ZKP protocols - from abstract algebra to low-level microchip implementations.
I hold a Master’s degree in cryptography and have 3 years of hands-on experience in the blockchain industry. I am currently based in Thailand.
Experience
Researcher @ Quantum Fusion
As a potential advancement on the field of blockchain parallel computation, I have researched computational model of Interaction Combinators and its verifiability. I also helped shape the direction of the startup through technical consulting and fact-checking.
Mathematician @ Maya-ZK
I focused on optimizing cryptographic computations. First, as part of the Zprize 2024 competition, I improved Plonk prover by clever parallelization and various math tricks. Second, I have speeded up BLS12-381 elliptic curve arithmetics by transitioning to its Hessian form. Third, I have found a more compact design for FPGU 381-bit multipliers.Developer @ SatoshiLabs
In partnership with SatoshiLabs, I received a grant from the Zcash Foundation to design and implement Zcash shielded transactions for the Trezor hardware wallet.
This project involved solving complex challenges related to Zcash’s non-standard cryptographic primitives and protocol intricacies. I worked across the full stack - from highly abstract Rust crates to deeply embedded no_std Rust, C++, and MicroPython on Trezor’s Cortex-M3 chip.
Research Fellow @ Charles University
Under the guidance of Pavel Hubáček, I began academic research during my bachelor's studies. We worked on blockchain consensus, verifiable delay functions (VDFs), and multivariate polynomial commitment schemes. I presented our VDF construction at the prestigious Theoretical Cryptography Conference in Taipei (2023).
Ethical Hacker @ DCIT a.s.
My weekly assignment was to penetrate a security layer of different web apps and technologies. I learned automation and hacking tools alongside experienced, hoody colleagues.
Network Scientist @ CETIN a.s.
In a network lab setting, I calibrated TCP protocol parameters and analyzed hardware solutions from Accedian.
Web pages designer
I worked as an independent web pages designer.
Education
Master's degree @ Charles University
I have studied mathematics and cryptography. My Master's thesis Verifiable Delay Functions from Lucas Sequences was accepted to the prestigious Theoretic Cryptography Conference in 2023 in Taipei.
Bachelor's degree @ Charles University
I have studied mathematics and cryptography. I focused on zk-SNARKs and Zcash in my Bachelor's thesis: Modern Applications of Zero Knowledge Protocols.
Study exchange at KU Leuven in Belgium
Skills and knowledge
Coding
- advanced in Rust and Python
- experienced with Haskell and functional programming
- Arch Linux user and open source contributor
Academic
- strong analytical and out-of-the-box thinking
- academic reading and writing
- strong academic foundations in Cryptography, Provable Security, Computational Algebra, Elliptic Curve Cryptography and other topics
- up-to-date knowledge of the recent advancement and literature in the field of zk-SNARKs, zkVMs and blockchains ecosystem evolution
Contact
Email: tomas@krnak.cz