STARKs solve SNARKs' trusted setup problem by using only hash functions and public randomness.

How STARKs Work:

• Polynomials: Convert your computation into a polynomial (like x² + x + 5)

• Merkle Trees: A Merkle tree is a hash-based structure that commits to many values in a single step. Instead of revealing every value (like f(1), f(2), f(3)…), their hashes are combined into a tree and summarized in a single Merkle root - a compact cryptographic hash that proves all the data is included and unchanged.

The tradeoff is larger proofs (~200KB vs 96 bytes) but completely transparent and quantum-safe since they only rely on hash functions.