In recent years, zero knowledge (ZK) cryptography has advanced such that a programmable blockchain, such as ethereum, is no longer necessary to the exploration and development of “smart contracts”, making bitcoin a viable environment for ZK technology. Alpen Labs is a pioneer in bringing the power of ZK technology to the secure and stable bitcoin blockchain, unlocking the long-term, sustainable potential of smart contracts (i.e.,multi-variable contracts scripted to automatically execute, define, and/or document events related to the contract). For bitcoin, ZK cryptography may enhance the protocol’s expressivity, privacy, and scalability without compromising the decentralization and security that define bitcoin.