Benedikt Bünz is the co-founder and the Chief Scientist at Espresso Systems, as well as an Assistant Professor at New York University (NYU), Bünz has significantly contributed to advancing cryptographic protocols and enhancing the privacy, usability, and security of blockchain applications. He has led several innovative projects and published influential papers in the field. ^{[1] [2]}​

Early Life & Education

Bünz pursued his higher education at Stanford University, where he developed his foundational expertise in cryptography and blockchains. During his tenure at Stanford from 2016 to 2022, he engaged with leading research projects and acquired a strong foothold in theoretical and applied cryptography. His academic background features scholarships and awards such as the Auslandsstipendium Studienstiftung from the German National Academic Foundation and a Semesterpreis from the University of Zurich, which highlighted his exceptional capabilities in research and thesis writing. ^[1]​

Career

Espresso Systems

Bünz holds the position of Chief Scientist and is a co-founder of Espresso Systems, a company that innovates in the blockchain space by focusing on enhancing the interoperability and efficiency of decentralized networks. Espresso Systems is best known for its HotShot consensus protocol, which is designed for rollups within Ethereum's ecosystem. This protocol aims to provide high throughput and fast finality, blending Web2-like performance with Web3 security. The Espresso Network's architecture allows robust cross-rollup interoperability, leveraging a decentralized proof-of-stake model alongside unique mechanisms for data availability. ^[3]​

Academic Contributions

As an Assistant Professor at NYU Courant, Bünz teaches courses in computer security and the cryptography of blockchains, contributing to the academic advancement of these subjects. His curriculum includes comprehensive insights into blockchain technologies, zero-knowledge proofs, and the cryptographic principles underlying these systems. ^[4]​

Research and Innovations

Bünz has pioneered several transformative projects in cryptographic research. Notably, his work has explored new zero-knowledge proof protocols like HyperPlonk, which promises a universal setup for ZKPs as opposed to application-specific setups like Groth16, focusing on hardware acceleration. Furthermore, Bünz's research into hash-based cryptography, exemplified by his project Flock, a high-speed batch-proof system, underscores his commitment to enhancing the scalability and security of blockchain protocols using minimal cryptographic assumptions. ^[2]​

Contributions to Crypto & Web3

Benedikt Bünz has been instrumental in advancing the application of zero-knowledge proofs within the cryptocurrency space. His introduction of Bulletproofs at BPASE18 marked a significant innovation in borrowing scale efficiency without trusted setups, enhancing the practical deployment of privacy-preserving cryptographic proofs in decentralized ledgers. ^[2]​

Flock, one of his more recent contributions, applies AI in its development process to achieve anonymity without sacrificing efficiency, even defeating post-quantum challenges across traditional hash functions like SHA-256. This adaptability underscores Bünz's foresight in building future-proof cryptographic solutions that align with emerging regulatory needs and privacy concerns. ^[2]​

Interviews

Shared Sequencing for Ethereum Rollups #01

In an interview published on the Founder Alpha YouTube channel on April 16, 2024, Benedikt Bünz discussed his views on Ethereum's rollup-based scaling model and the concept of shared sequencing. He described Espresso Systems as developing a sequencing marketplace in which rollups may delegate sequencing rights to shared sequencers through an optional auction mechanism. According to Bünz, this design is intended to allow a single sequencer to coordinate transaction ordering across multiple rollups while allowing individual rollups to continue operating their own sequencers if preferred.

Bünz stated that shared sequencing could support atomic execution across rollups, reduce coordination challenges between independent sequencers, and provide a framework for cross-rollup bridging and transaction ordering. He also explained that Espresso's HotShot consensus protocol provides pre-confirmation of transaction ordering before settlement on Ethereum, while final settlement continues to rely on the Ethereum network.

During the interview, Bünz also discussed the relationship between shared sequencing and other interoperability approaches, including cross-rollup messaging systems. He described these technologies as complementary components of a modular blockchain architecture, in which execution, sequencing, consensus, and settlement are handled by separate layers. ^[5]

Zero-Knowledge Proofs and Post-Quantum Cryptography #02

On July 14, 2026, Benedikt Bünz appeared on the Isabel Foxen Duke YouTube channel to discuss zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs), post-quantum cryptography, and their possible applications within the Bitcoin protocol. During the interview, he described his views on the technical factors that have influenced the adoption of zero-knowledge proofs in Bitcoin and outlined research related to post-quantum cryptographic approaches.

Bünz stated that Bitcoin's development process has generally favored conservative protocol changes, which, in his view, has contributed to slower adoption of newer cryptographic techniques compared with some other blockchain ecosystems. He also discussed recent developments in hash-based SNARKs, describing changes in their design, including the removal of trusted setup requirements and reductions in proof generation time. According to Bünz, these characteristics expand the range of scenarios in which such proofs can be applied, including blockchain verification, light clients, and signature aggregation.

The interview also covered post-quantum signature schemes for Bitcoin. Bünz explained his preference for hash-based signatures as an initial approach because they are derived from cryptographic hash functions already used by the Bitcoin protocol, while acknowledging that these schemes generally produce larger signatures than lattice-based alternatives. He stated that zero-knowledge proofs could be used to aggregate signature verification and reduce some of the overhead associated with larger signatures. In addition, Bünz discussed research conducted with Dan Boneh through Localhost Research on post-quantum cryptography for Bitcoin, including work related to evaluating cryptographic approaches for future protocol development. ^[6]