Nullifiers & Commitments

Every time a user performs a transaction using Hinkal, the browser wallet computes a Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) and creates (or nullifies) a commitment.

A commitment is a cryptographic primitive that allows a user to commit to a chosen value while keeping it hidden to others, with the ability to reveal the committed value later. Commitments are created and spent after deposits, transfers, and swaps.

A nullifier is the result of a one way hash function of a commitment and a shielded private key, when making a transaction a commitment is nullified and written on chain.

This mechanism is used so that commitments cannot be reused.