[3][4] Goldreich has contributed to the development of pseudorandomness,[5][6] zero knowledge proofs,[7] secure function evaluation,[8] property testing,[9] and other areas in cryptography[10][11] and computational complexity.

[16] Goldreich received the Knuth prize in 2017 for "fundamental and lasting contributions to theoretical computer science in many areas including cryptography, randomness, probabilistically checkable proofs, inapproximability, property testing as well as complexity theory in general.

Education Minister Yoav Gallant vetoed his selection over Goldreich's alleged support of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement (BDS) against Israel.

[19][20] However, according to Goldreich, he did not support BDS but instead signed a petition calling for the halt of EU funding for the Israeli Ariel University on the occupied West Bank.

[27] In December 2021 Attorney General Mandelblit told the High Court that Prof. Goldreich should be given the Israel Prize in Mathematics, despite Education Minister Shasha-Biton's decision.