Nishat Koti
Cryptography Researcher
India
Cryptography researcher with expertise in zero-knowledge proof systems and secure multiparty computation (MPC). Work spans theory and practice, including design and formal security analysis of cryptographic protocols for privacy-preserving ML, decentralized finance, and secure graph computation, as well as auditing of real-world implementations such as production ZK libraries (Barretenberg).
Work Preferences
Salary
USD 250,000 – 350,000
Skills
Work Experience
Cryptography Researcher
Aztec Labs
Oct 2024 — Apr 2026
Explored and analyzed modern ZK proof systems including PLONK, folding-based IVC schemes (Nova, HyperNova, ProtoGalaxy), Gemini, Goblin, and Zeromorph. Contributed to formal soundness analysis of an optimized Gemini polynomial commitment scheme variant, resulting in a public technical note with Ariel Gabizon. Conducted security audits of cryptographic components in the Barretenberg library including hash gadgets, Merkle tree constructions, and polynomial modules. Worked on improving static analysis tooling for circuits in Barretenberg.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Technical University of Darmstadt
Jan 2024 — Aug 2024
Conducted research in secure multiparty computation and privacy-preserving protocols.
Research Intern
Crypto Group, Aarhus University
Aug 2019 — Sept 2019
Research visit to the Crypto Group at Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
Software Engineer
Ruckus Wireless Inc. (an Arris Company)
Jan 2016 — Jan 2017
Worked on the development of wireless access points at the platform level.
Education
Indian Institute of Science
PhD · Computer Science and Automation
2017 – 2023
National Institute of Technology Goa
M.Tech · Computer Science and Engineering
2014 – 2016
National Institute of Technology Goa
B.Tech · Computer Science and Engineering
2010 – 2014