Italian cryptographer, researcher at Radboud University.
Lead author of Poseidon (2021), a hash function designed for zero-knowledge proof systems, optimized for arithmetic circuits over prime fields.
Poseidon achieves 8x fewer constraints than Pedersen hashes in SNARK/STARK circuits, making ZK proofs practical for real workloads.
Research focuses on symmetric cryptography, algebraic attacks, and hash function design for constrained environments.
Co-authored the HADES design strategy combining full and partial S-box rounds for efficiency without sacrificing security.
The cyber protocol uses Poseidon for all in-circuit hashing: commitments, nullifiers, and Merkle tree construction in the Goldilocks field.