Home > Tooling & Applications > Barretenberg
Barretenberg¶
Description¶
The default proving backend for Noir. Implements UltraHonk (and previously UltraPLONK). Takes ACIR as input and produces proofs. Optimized for blockchain use cases: slower prover, very fast verifier. Developed by Aztec Protocol.
Evaluation¶
| Criterion | Value |
|---|---|
| Based on | UltraHonk (PLONKish) |
| Easiness | used via Noir — transparent to user |
| Fast and short (<1s, <1MB) | yes (optimized for fast verification) |
| Post-quantum | no |
| Mobile and web | partial — WASM builds exist |
| Maintained | yes — very active |
| Open source | yes |
| Security review | no |
| secp256k1 signature + sha256 | yes |
Notes¶
Slower prover than some alternatives. The prover/verifier split is intentional: designed so the verifier can run on-chain (EVM). Not ideal if prover speed is the priority.
Based on¶
Resources¶
- Docs:
- Blog: noirs-circuit-backend