7 Weeks of Online Classes

Circom Bootcamp

Code real ZK applications using Circom
Next Cohort:
TBA
TBA
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In the RareSkills Applied ZK Bootcamp you will learn how to code applications using ZK circuits, specifically with Circom. Specifically, you will:
  • Learn how to create a ZKVM (Zero Knowledge Virtual Machine) from scratch
  • Learn how to create a zero knowledge proof of the preimage of a cryptographic hash function
  • Learn the common design patterns for ZK
Although we focus on Circom in this course, the knowledge gained generalizes to other ZK DSLs (design specific langauges) such as o1js, Halo2, Gnark, and Plonky3.

Before You Start

Prerequisites

We strongly suggested that you take the foundational ZK bootcamp before this. However, if you fully understand the first three chapters of the ZK Book as well as Rank 1 Constraint Systems, then you are ready to take this course.

This course is targeted to senior engineers (3+ years of professional programming experience). We assume familiarity with the following topics:
Hash functions and Merkle Trees
Virtual machines
Bitwise arithmetic and bit manipulation
Sorting algorithms
Data structures such as stacks and arrays

Structured For Success

Circom Bootcamp Curriculum

Last Updated: February 2025
Week 1

  • Introduction to Circom syntax part 1
  • Circom syntax part 2

Week 2

  • Num2Bits and Bits2Num
  • 32-bit emulation in ZK

Week 3

  • Hacking underconstrained circuits
  • Compute then constrain

Week 4

  • Conditional operators and linear search
  • Sequential computations in ZK

Week 5

  • ZK Sort algorithm
  • Emulating a stack

Week 6

  • Building a ZK VM
  • Building a ZK hash function

Week 7

  • ZK-friendly hashes
  • Permutation Argument and Nullifiers

Meet Your Mentor

Your Instructor

Jeffrey Scholz

Jeffrey Scholz, founder of RareSkills, was Yahoo’s youngest senior engineering manager, building its video machine learning team and earning two AI patents. His work at RareSkills has helped 100s of engineers land roles at top blockchain companies, and the author of the popular The RareSkills Book of ZK. He holds a Masters degree in computational theory from Columbia University.

Welcome Onboard

Onboarding Process

1

Apply To Enroll

2

Student Interview

3

Payment

4

Course Access

5

Attend Class

Join Our Circom Bootcamp

Next Cohort:
TBA
TBA
Apply Now

What To Expect

Course Structure

Each week there will be 2 classes of one hour each and a homework assignment. Although these are recorded, you should not miss them because they are designed to be very interactive. There is an additional 30 minute of office hours for students to review homework and ask questions. Students on the premium plan can set up weekly 1-1 meetings with the instructor.

 Please budget 5 hours of study per week for the course.

Flexible Plans

Circom Bootcamp Pricing

Standard

$3,000/upfront
$1,750 × 2/monthly
  • 7 × Weeks Lectures
  • Tailored Homework
  • Weekly Office Hours (Lifetime Access)
  • Access to the RareSkills Slack and Discord Community (Lifetime Access)
Apply Now

Premium

$5,500/upfront
$3,000 × 2/monthly
  • Everything in Starter Tier
  • 7 × Individual Code Review and Mentoring Sessions
Apply Now
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Everything You Need To Know

Frequently Asked Questions

Each week there will be 2 classes of one hour each and a homework assignment. There is an additional office hour so you can ask question in person, and a Slack group for asynchronous help.

Please budget 5 hours per week to complete the assignments.

The ZK Bootcamp focuses on foundational math. This course focuses on how to create ZK applications. These bootcamps can be taken in either order.

Writing verifiable computation using ZK is all about modeling a real problem using constraints, which specifically is a system of equations consisting of addition, multiplication, and equality.

You do it by learning the "design patterns" for simpler operations and then composing them into more complex applications. That is what you will learn in this course.