---
title: "Comparing protocol names instead of commitment schemes"
description: "Two systems are compared by their headline names when the properties being compared — proof size, verifier cost, post-quantum posture — are set by the…"
type: "failure-mode"
url: "https://zkpick.com/proof-systems/failure-modes/comparing-protocol-names-instead-of-commitment-schemes/"
section: "01 Choosing a proof system"
authors:
  - "MarketComp"
publisher: "MarketComp"
version: "1.3"
updated: "2026-09-12"
license: "CC-BY-4.0"
json: "https://zkpick.com/data/proof-systems/failure-modes/comparing-protocol-names-instead-of-commitment-schemes.json"
---

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

# Comparing protocol names instead of commitment schemes

Two systems are compared by their headline names when the properties being compared — proof size, verifier cost, post-quantum posture — are set by the commitment layer beneath. The comparison produces a confident conclusion about the wrong variable.

**Mitigation:** Identify the commitment scheme and field for each candidate first, and compare those. Two systems sharing a commitment resemble each other far more than two sharing a protocol name.