Microsoft Research unveils Magnetar, which produces zero-knowledge proofs for ordinary Rust, Go and C programs 10 to 39 times faster on average than the fastest comparable zkVMs
Proof that a program ran as claimed, checkable in milliseconds. Where the speed comes from, what its security rests on, and why it matters for agents.
// Key points
- It proves execution of RISC-V programs: Rust, Go and C compile as usual, with no hand-written cryptographic circuits.
- It proves 7.2 to 8.7 million processor instructions per second on a laptop and is 10 to 39 times faster on average than the fastest existing zkVMs across 15 benchmark programs.
- Its security rests only on standard hash functions such as SHA-256 or SHA-3, with no elliptic curves, lattices or trusted setup.
- Proofs are small and check in milliseconds; Microsoft gives the example of an agent attaching a proof that each action complied with its policy.
Builder's takeIt's still a way from products, but the direction is worth noting: agent compliance today rests on logs and trust, and may one day rest on verifiable proofs. What you can do now is write agent policy checks as small deterministic programs rather than burying them in prompts, so they're verifiable whether or not zero-knowledge proofs ever arrive.