Paper 2025/1422 Original: eprint.iacr.org/2025/1422 ↗
Design ZK-NR: A Post-Quantum Layered Protocol for Legally Explainable Zero-Knowledge Non-Repudiation Attestation
Abstract
This article presents the architectural design of Zero Knowledge Non-Repudiation (ZK-NR), a layered cryptographic protocol enabling post-quantum secure, legally interpretable, and verifiably non-repudiable attestations. Built upon STARK-based zero-knowledge proofs, hybrid post-quantum signatures, and entropy-accumulating ledger anchoring, ZK-NR satisfies the structural properties of both the Q2CSI framework and the NIZK-E model. The protocol achieves semantic interpretability by structurally separating contextual proofs from bounded explanations, while maintaining cryptographic soundness under the Universal Composability framework. Formal UC proofs are deferred to Article A.2 in this series. This article constitutes the first entry in the ZK-NR series, focused specifically on the protocol's architectural and functional design. Subsequent articles will cover its mathematical foundations, implementation strategies, and operational validation using formal verification environments.
Metadata
- Available format(s)
PDF- Category
- Cryptographic protocols
- Publication info
- Preprint.
- History
- 2025-08-05: last updated
- 2025-08-05: published
- Short URL
- https://ia.cr/2025/1422
- License
- https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX
@misc{cryptoeprint:2025/1422,
author = {Minka Mi Nguidjoi Thierry Emmanuel and Mani Onana Flavien Serge and Djotio Ndié Thomas and Atsa Etoundi Roger},
title = {Design ZK-NR: A Post-Quantum Layered Protocol for Legally Explainable Zero-Knowledge Non-Repudiation Attestation},
howpublished = {Cryptology {ePrint} Archive, Paper 2025/1422},
year = {2025},
url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2025/1422}
}