 
## Merlin: composable proof transcripts for public-coin arguments of knowledge

[Merlin][merlin_cool] is a [STROBE][strobe]-based transcript
construction for zero-knowledge proofs. It automates the Fiat-Shamir
transform, so that by using Merlin, non-interactive protocols can be
implemented as if they were interactive.

This is significantly easier and less error-prone than performing the
transformation by hand, and in addition, it also provides natural
support for:

* multi-round protocols with alternating commit and challenge phases;

* natural domain separation, ensuring challenges are bound to the
  statements to be proved;

* automatic message framing, preventing ambiguous encoding of
  commitment data;

* and protocol composition, by using a common transcript for multiple
  protocols.

Finally, Merlin also provides a transcript-based random number
generator as defense-in-depth against bad-entropy attacks (such as
nonce reuse, or bias over many proofs). This RNG provides synthetic
randomness derived from the entire public transcript, as well as the
prover's witness data, and an auxiliary input from an external RNG.

More details on the design of Merlin and how to use it for proof
systems can be found on the [Merlin website][merlin_cool].

## Features

The `nightly` feature is passed to `clear_on_drop`; it may be replaced
with a no-op in the future (since `clear_on_drop` is an implementation
detail).

The `debug-transcript` feature prints an annotated proof transcript to
`stdout`; it is only suitable for development and testing purposes,
should not be used in released crates, and should not be considered stable.

An example of an annotated transcript for a Bulletproof rangeproof can
be [found here][bp_transcript].

## About

Merlin is authored by Henry de Valence, with design input from Isis
Lovecruft and Oleg Andreev.  The construction grew out of work with Oleg
Andreev and Cathie Yun on a [Bulletproofs implementation][bp].
Thanks also to Trevor Perrin and Mike
Hamburg for helpful discussions.  Merlin is named in reference to
[Arthur-Merlin protocols][am_wiki] which introduced the notion of
public coin arguments.

The header image was created by Oleg Andreev as a composite of Arthur Pyle's
[The Enchanter Merlin][merlin_pyle] and the Keccak Team's [θ-step
diagram][keccak_theta].

This project is licensed under the MIT license.

[merlin_cool]: https://merlin.cool
[bp]: https://doc.dalek.rs/bulletproofs/
[strobe]: https://strobe.sourceforge.io/
[am_wiki]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur%E2%80%93Merlin_protocol
[merlin_pyle]: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arthur-Pyle_The_Enchanter_Merlin.JPG
[keccak_theta]: https://keccak.team/figures.html
[bp_transcript]: https://gist.github.com/hdevalence/9db3997cc275597eeae1ec2461b8e2a1
