{
  "type": "failure-mode",
  "name": "Comparing protocol names instead of commitment schemes",
  "slug": "comparing-protocol-names-instead-of-commitment-schemes",
  "section": {
    "id": "proof-systems",
    "number": "01",
    "title": "Choosing a proof system",
    "url": "https://zkpick.com/proof-systems/"
  },
  "url": "https://zkpick.com/proof-systems/failure-modes/comparing-protocol-names-instead-of-commitment-schemes/",
  "markdown": "https://zkpick.com/md/proof-systems/failure-modes/comparing-protocol-names-instead-of-commitment-schemes.md",
  "detail": "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.",
  "relatedOptions": [],
  "updated": "2026-09-12",
  "version": "1.3",
  "canonical": "https://zkpick.com/proof-systems/failure-modes/comparing-protocol-names-instead-of-commitment-schemes/",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "authors": [
    "MarketComp"
  ]
}