---
title: "Assuming a transparent system means no trusted setup anywhere"
description: "A setup-free inner proof system is selected for exactly that property, then wrapped in a pairing-based SNARK to make on-chain verification affordable."
type: "failure-mode"
url: "https://zkpick.com/frameworks/failure-modes/assuming-a-transparent-system-means-no-trusted-setup-anywhere/"
section: "02 Choosing a framework"
authors:
  - "MarketComp"
publisher: "MarketComp"
version: "1.3"
updated: "2026-09-12"
license: "CC-BY-4.0"
json: "https://zkpick.com/data/frameworks/failure-modes/assuming-a-transparent-system-means-no-trusted-setup-anywhere.json"
---

*By MarketComp. Updated 2026-09-12. Version 1.3. CC BY 4.0.*

# Assuming a transparent system means no trusted setup anywhere

A setup-free inner proof system is selected for exactly that property, then wrapped in a pairing-based SNARK to make on-chain verification affordable. The wrapper has its own setup, often inherited from a ceremony nobody on the team examined.

**Mitigation:** Trace the assumption to what the chain actually verifies. If a wrapper is used, its parameters are in scope: name their provenance and verify that transcript. See §04.