On the morning of July 31, 2025, the ZK Core Program 2025 concluded with the Demo Day event held at the Vietnam – Korea University of Information and Communication Technology (VKU), University of Danang. The event featured presentations of innovative ideas and technology products applying Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZK). Co-organized by VKU, ZKP Labs (a unit of Orochi Network), and Ethereum ZKET, the program marked the completion of a five-week intensive training course (June 17 – July 31, 2025) designed for technology-enthusiastic students in Vietnam’s Central region.

Overview of the ZK Core Program 2025 Demo Day

The program brought together 45 participants – a mix of VKU’s second-year and third-year students specializing in Information Technology and Information Security, and IT engineers from leading enterprises in Da Nang. This group represents a young and dynamic force, eager to explore pioneering technologies in cryptography and the Web3 ecosystem.

Representing VKU at the Demo Day were Dr. Nguyen Huu Nhat Minh – Deputy Head of the Department of Science, Technology and International Cooperation, Dr. Dang Dai Tho – Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science and Dr. Dang Quang Hien – Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Computer Engineering and Electronics. Representing the organizing partners were Ms. Tuong Vi – Co-founder of ZKP Labs and Mr. Nam Ngo – MPC Researcher at the PSE Group, Ethereum Foundation together with mentors, judges, and representatives of Vietnam’s ZK technology community.

ZK Core Program 2025 is an in-depth training program on ZK technology – an important platform of the Web3 generation. Over the course of five weeks, students engaged in a series of activities, including theoretical training, mentoring, teamwork, hackathons, and practical product-building experiences. The program not only equipped students with foundational knowledge and technical tools but also supported them in transforming their ideas into their first technology products applying ZK, reflecting a strong spirit of innovation, creativity, and integration.

Demo Day served as both a milestone and an academic platform for six teams to present their technology products to a jury composed of leading experts in ZKP cryptography and blockchain. Typical projects included “Simple Exchange Simulation with ZKP for Proof of Reserves” which simulates a transparent exchange while safeguarding user information, “ZK-RBAC” – a decentralized access control system utilizing ZK for identity protection, and “zkCaptcha” – a CAPTCHA solution that secures user data from bots without storing personal information.

In addition, projects such as “ZKAuth” and “ZK-Auth” focus on user authentication without transmitting passwords or personal data to the server – a promising solution for e-wallets, digital banking platforms, and Web3 applications. The “Secure Remote Password (SRP)” team developed a highly secure authentication system based on the SRP-6a protocol, which effectively eliminates the risk of password leakage from the database.

Group 1 impressed the audience with their presentation of “Simple Exchange Simulation with ZKP for Proof of Reserves”

After a thrilling pitch competition, the jury announced the winners: Group 1 took First Prize for “Simple Exchange Simulation with ZKP for Proof of Reserves”; Group 3 secured Second Prize for “Zero-Knowledge – Role-based Access Control”; Group 4 received Third Prize for “An Anonymous Payment System Based on Zero-Knowledge Proof”. This outcome highlights the remarkable effort, creative thinking, and real-world tech solutions demonstrated by the competing teams.

The program also recognized the Top 3 outstanding learning groups throughout the training course – Group 2, Group 8, and Group 5 – for their exceptional learning performance, teamwork, and collaborative spirit. Notably, the program highlighted eight outstanding individuals from the course – Nguyen Khanh Huyen, Ngo Mau Hoang Duc, Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Tran Nhon Nhat, Nguyen Viet Khang, Ha Duy Nhat, and Pham Dang Trinh (VKU’s students from class 22NS) – recognized as promising representatives of the next generation of technology engineers.

Insights from experts during the discussion session

The program also offered standout sessions, such as a tech-sharing talk from an Ethereum ZKET representative and an open panel discussion, “Zero-Knowledge Tech & You: Career Paths, Research Tracks, and Funding Gateways” featuring international experts and VKU lecturers. These sessions not only broadened participants’ knowledge but also served as a strong source of inspiration, opening pathways to career opportunities and new research directions in blockchain technology.

The ZK Core Program and Demo Day stand as vivid evidence of VKU’s training philosophy – pioneering, innovative, business-connected, and internationally-integrated. With strong collaborations with leading global tech partners, VKU is steadily shaping itself into a modern technology training hub, dedicated to preparing young talents to thrive in pioneering technology domains of the digital age.

Center for Learning Resource and Communication

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