Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) are cryptographic methods enabling the verification of data knowledge without disclosing the data itself, playing a pivotal role in enhancing privacy on public blockchain networks. Initially conceptualized in a 1985 MIT paper, ZKPs allow for privacy-preserving transactions and have numerous applications, such as in smart contracts and decentralized identity systems, by ensuring data confidentiality while maintaining transparency. Technologies like Chainlink's DECO extend these capabilities by allowing secure data verification from web servers, fostering privacy-preserving applications like undercollateralized loans and decentralized identity protocols. The primary advantage of ZKPs is their ability to integrate private datasets into public blockchain operations without exposing sensitive information, making them valuable for sectors like finance and supply chain management that require data privacy and compliance with regulations. Various implementations of ZKPs, including zk-SNARKs and zk-STARKs, offer different trade-offs in terms of proof size and verification speed, facilitating secure, scalable, and efficient blockchain operations.