What Is the Difference between a Commitment Scheme and a Zero-Knowledge Proof?

A commitment scheme allows a user to commit to a value without revealing it, with the ability to reveal it later. It guarantees binding (the value cannot be changed) and hiding (the value is secret).

A zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) is more advanced: it allows a user to prove that a statement is true (e.g. "I know the secret value in the commitment") without revealing any information about the statement itself.

ZKPs are often used for privacy and scalability.