HOMOMORPHIC ENCRYPTION AND ZERO KNOWLEDGE PROOFS ENHANCING PRIVACY PRESERVING CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROTOCOLS FOR DECENTRALIZED SYSTEMS

The rise of decentralized systems such as blockchain and distributed ledgers has made the need for robust privacy-preserving cryptographic protocols increasingly paramount. Two leading technologies—Homomorphic Encryption (HE) and Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKP)—have emerged as foundational tools for enhancing data confidentiality without compromising functionality. This paper analyzes the complementary roles of HE and ZKP, evaluates their evolution, and highlights recent improvements that make them viable for large-scale deployment. A comparative analysis with empirical and structural evaluations demonstrates their effectiveness in contemporary decentralized environments.