Verifiable FHE Bootstrapping using SNARKs

The blog post explores the feasibility of Verifiable Fully Homomorphic Encryption (VFHE) by combining Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) and Succinct Non-interactive ARguments of Knowledge (SNARKs) to ensure both the correctness and privacy of computations on encrypted data. Although FHE allows computations on encrypted inputs, it doesn't guarantee integrity, while SNARKs ensure computation integrity but require plaintext knowledge. The project focuses on TFHE, known for its lightweight programmable bootstrapping, to tackle the significant memory and computational costs associated with proving bootstrapping operations using SNARKs. By employing Incrementally Verifiable Computation (IVC) techniques with plonky2, the researchers transformed the bootstrapping operation into an efficient arithmetic circuit, significantly reducing the memory requirements and making it feasible to run on commodity laptops, though the process remains time-intensive. The study shows promise for VFHE's practicality and potential impact on privacy technologies, suggesting that further optimizations could enhance its efficiency and extend its applications.