Introduction to Web3 Gaming and Embedded Fairness
The concept of web3 games often revolves around tokens, economies, and speculations, but a crucial aspect is frequently overlooked: the true potential of web3 for fair play. Web3 redefines what “fair play” means by utilizing cryptography to enable fairness in a way that web2 cannot. This article explores the potential of zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs in web3 gaming, which can provide cryptographic assurance of fairness and trustless randomness.
Experiments with VibeCoding and ZK Proofs
Through experiments with VibeCoding, it has been demonstrated that ZK proofs can be used to create simple games like blackjack and slots with embedded fairness. Initially, the review time for ZK proofs was slow, taking around thirty seconds, which made the gameplay slow and chunky. However, by implementing an optimistic review, the review time was reduced to milliseconds, making the game feel alive and proving fairness in real-time.
What ZK Unlocks in Games
ZK proofs are changing the way games deal with randomness, strategy, and calls. In online games and casinos, players must trust the operator’s word that a shuffle or roll is fair. With ZK proofs, fairness can be detected, and a casino or server can cryptographically prove that a deck has been randomly mixed without unveiling the seed. This enables players to check every spin, roll, or action in real-time, eliminating the need for blind trust.
Advantages of ZK Proofs in Games
ZK proofs also enable players to prove that they have played according to the rules without showing their movements, keeping their strategy private. In poker, for example, players can hide their hand from the backend server logic. Additionally, ZK proofs can be used to create authentic leaderboards, where a game can prove that a player’s high score is authentic without revealing all gameplay data behind it.
Why Gambling is the First Real Application
Gambling is one of the first industries to test ZK technology, as players often rely on an opaque infrastructure and the promise that regulatory authorities or auditors keep things fair. However, with ZK proofs, each game operation can fulfill an embedded fairness evidence in accordance with custom parameters from the game’s rules. This eliminates the need to trust that the shuffle or slot spin was not manipulated, as players can verify it themselves.
Beyond Gambling: Fairness as a Web3 Primitive
The implications of ZK proofs go far beyond casinos. Checkable randomness, private strategies, and verifiable reviews are just the beginning. With scalable ZK proofs, new genres of games and applications can be created that were previously unthinkable. Competitive eSports tournaments could use ZK to check match results and components, and social games can ensure that ranking lists are not manipulated.
Conclusion
In conclusion, web3 gaming can offer more than new monetization loops; it can unlock completely new mechanics driven by cryptography. The technology is already here, and as ZK proofs and co-processors mature, we will see entire genres of games based on trustless fairness. Fair play, guaranteed by mathematics, is the real prize for web3 games.
John Camardo, head of product management at Horizen Labs, emphasizes the potential of zero-knowledge cryptography in solving real problems. He is currently heading the ZKVerify product page, a chain-agnostic modular blockchain dedicated to the efficient verification of ZK proofs.
Source: https://crypto.news/web3-gaming-is-ready-for-embedded-fair-play-opinion/
