---
title: "Do I need a trusted setup?"
description: "Only if your proof system requires a structured reference string. Hash-based systems — STARKs and other FRI-based constructions, Bulletproofs, and IPA-based…"
type: "question"
url: "https://zkpick.com/faq/do-i-need-a-trusted-setup/"
section: "04 Running or reusing a trusted setup"
authors:
  - "MarketComp"
publisher: "MarketComp"
version: "1.3"
updated: "2026-09-12"
license: "CC-BY-4.0"
json: "https://zkpick.com/data/faq/do-i-need-a-trusted-setup.json"
---

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

# Do I need a trusted setup?

Only if your proof system requires a structured reference string. Hash-based systems — STARKs and other FRI-based constructions, Bulletproofs, and IPA-based schemes such as Halo2's original instantiation — need none. Groth16 needs a circuit-specific setup, so a new ceremony is required whenever the circuit changes. PLONK, Marlin and KZG-based Halo2 need a universal, updatable setup that can be reused across circuits, and in practice teams reuse an existing public transcript rather than running their own. See Section 04.