NFT-optimized Palm Network to become a Polygon ZK Supernet

July 27, 2023 Coin Telegraph

The Ethereum sidechain will transition to a proof-of-stake network this August and become a full-fledged layer 2 based on Polygon’s zero-knowledge protocol in 2024.

Nonfungible token-focused blockchain Palm Network is about to become a great deal more accessible to users, with plans to transition into being a customized Polygon blockchain.

According to a July 26 announcement, Palm Network will soon become a Polygon (MATIC) ZK Supernet, which will see minting, trading, and collecting NFTs becoming more readily available to its users.

Additionally, Palm Network will become interoperable with Ethereum and the rest of the Polygon 2.0 ecosystem.

PALM on the journey to become ZKL2 with polygon Technology!

Don't miss a talk with @lerdiedabirdie from ED @palmfdn and @sandeepnailwal , the Founder of @0xPolygonLabs.
Set your reminder now! ️https://t.co/pRDSFbtNaC pic.twitter.com/SutmzzqTMS
— Palmfdn (@palmfdn) July 27, 2023

Polygon “supernets” are customizable blockchains that are created using Polygon consensus software, while the term “ZK Supernet” refers to a network that uses zero-knowledge proofs to process deposits and withdrawals from Ethereum.

Palm Network’s transition to a Polygon Supernet will take place in two stages. On August 23, it will transition to a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism network. Then sometime in 2024 it will transition into a ZK-based layer-2.

Palm Network has partnered with NFT marketplace Candy Digital, which carries licensed NFTs from NASCAR, Major League Baseball, Netflix, Warner Brothers, WWE and other brands. The digital art distributor HENI is also built on the network.

*Candy Digital marketplace on Palm Network. Source: Candy Digital*

Palm is currently an Ethereum (ETH) sidechain, which means that it relies entirely on its own nodes for security.

Once the transition process is completed, transfers between Palm Network and Ethereum will be processed using Polygon’s zero-knowledge proof protocols, making their security partially dependent on the Ethereum blockchain and therefore potentially more secure.

Polygon co-founder Jordi Baylina praised Palm’s move, saying that it will lead to greater accessibility for users without sacrificing security:

“By leveraging Polygon Supernets technology, developers of Palm Network can preserve the user experience amid even the highest network activity while minimizing the gas costs for its community — resulting in a significantly more accessible and democratic ecosystem.”

Over the past few months, the Polygon team has been working to create an ecosystem of multiple ZK supernets joined together through its software, a system they have referred to as “Polygon 2.0.”

They face competition from Optimism’s “Superchain,” a similar multichain vision based on the OP Stack software. ZkSync has also announced that it will be building a multi-network ecosystem made up of “Hyperchains.”

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Magazine: Tokenizing music royalties as NFTs could help the next Taylor Swift

Zero Barriers ahead! Zero knowledge and AI combine to redefine the future

July 20, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Coin Telegraph

The fourth episode sees StarkWare president Eli Ben-Sasson and Giza co-founder Cem Dagdelen explore the role of AI in smart contracts.

From the international stage at Davos to the soccer fields of Bedford, the Decentralize with Cointelegraph podcast dives into the nuances of crypto and blockchain, and how they intersect with everyday life.

One promising technology that has emerged in the blockchain space is zero-knowledge proofs (ZK-proofs), which many claim can be a game-changer for blockchain tech and how smart contracts are implemented.

Zero Barriers is a special six-part series launched in the first week of July on the Decentralize with Cointelegraph podcast to explore this innovative technology. In the fourth episode, Andrew Fenton, managing editor of Cointelegraph Magazine, sits down with some of the individuals behind ZK-rollups to talk about how these solutions have developed and changed the blockchain space over the past few years.

This episode features Eli Ben-Sasson, a co-founder and chief architect of StarkWare, who has been at the forefront of the technology since validity proofs were an abstract theoretical concept to StarkNet’s superfast Quantum Leap upgrade.

Alongside him is Cem Dagdelen, co-founder of Giza, a company seeking to bridge artificial intelligence (AI) and ZK tech. Together they take a trip back to the old days and explain how ZK-supercharged smart contracts can combine with other emerging technologies, such as AI. The episode is co-hosted by Nathan Jeffay from StarkWare.

The first three episodes of the series included discussions around the scalability of the Ethereum network to run the world’s financial system, the pain points of blockchain technology and how blockchain tech has impacted various sectors worldwide. In the first episode, Ben-Sasson and StarkWare CEO Uri Kolodny explore the future of Ethereum and why they believe in the success of blockchain technology.

The second and third episodes feature Avihu Levy from StarkWare and Motty Lavie of Braavos Wallet, as well as David Lavecky from Canvas, and StarkWare’s Louis Guthmann, who discussed the aches and pains that blockchain technology aims to resolve in the near future.

Zero Barriers is created in collaboration with StarkWare. Listen to the Zero Barriers series on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or your podcast platform of choice.

Cointelegraph does not endorse the content of this article nor any product mentioned herein. Readers should do their own research before taking any action related to any product or company mentioned and carry full responsibility for their decisions.

ZK proofs could change the internet, not just Web3 — Aleo exec

July 20, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Brennen Schlueter

ZK-proofs could help online privacy by only revealing relevant user information, solving the internet’s “biggest problem,” says Brennen Schlueter.

Zero-knowledge proofs could be used to solve the “biggest problem” plaguing the internet today: privacy, according to one cryptocurrency executive.

Speaking with Cointelegraph at the Ethereum Community Conference (EthCC) the marketing chief at privacy-focused infrastructure platform Aleo, Brennen Schlueter, said while ZK proofs have become a popular solution to provide blockchains with improved scalability through ZK-rollups, they have the potential to reshape the entire internet.

ZK proofs enable the transfer of information to take place between two parties in which the originator only needs to reveal relevant information to the receiver. For example, to prove an individual is of age to enter a bar without revealing their actual age or identity to a security guard.

Schlueter said the modern internet was not built to prioritize the privacy of its users.

“When data needs to change hands, when data needs to be custodied, we’re always going to have vulnerabilities there,” Schlueter explained in the context of how easily a user’s privacy can be breached online.

Great vibes all around at #InfraCon @EthCC yesterday!

From insightful panels on ZK proofs to discussions on growing communities, I was all ears

Panel sessions often give away free battle-tested advice, which is incredibly informative & often underrated. pic.twitter.com/dau6yy7XEd
— Marlin Intern (@marlin_intern) July 19, 2023

ZK proofs solve this privacy issue for not only Web3 but the entire internet, according to Schlueter.

“With zero-knowledge proofs, we can actually start to see how data can be secured from the start by revealing the information that's required to know,” he added.

“I think it changes the route that we are going with the internet broadly.”

ZK-proofs could make the lives of developers and data custodians much easier, as they’ll no longer have to choose between creating a private environment or optimizing user experience, Schlueter explained, adding:

“Those two things are at war with the way that we currently structure the internet.”

Tiancheng Xie, the chief technology officer of ZK-powered interoperability platform Polyhedra, told Cointelegraph that artificial intelligence tools may also benefit from privacy and censorship-resistant properties offered by ZK proofs.

“Scalable and connected,” added Tiancheng Xie, CTO of @PolyhedraZK pic.twitter.com/UYSCtcQcS7
— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) July 19, 2023

Schlueter said finance, identity and gaming are other sectors benefiting from ZK proofs

He claimed that more financial institutions are looking to ZK solutions in a bid to strengthen privacy where the firms see fit.

Magazine: ZK-rollups are ‘the endgame’ for scaling blockchains, Polygon Miden founder

Additional reporting by Zhiyuan Sun.

Ethereum scaling protocols drive zero-knowledge proof use in 2023

July 13, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Coin Telegraph

Ethereum scaling remains the primary use case behind zero-knowledge proofs, according to a report from ZKValidator.

Ethereum scaling protocols dominate the use of zero-knowledge rollups (ZK-rollups), with major launches, new research and healthy competition key points in a sector report published by ZKValidator.

The node infrastructure operator’s “State of ZK Q2” report reflects on significant events across the ZK ecosystem, with notable launches of ZK-powered layer 2’s highlighting the use of the technology for scaling in comparison with other market segments.

ZK-proofs use cryptography to allow one party to prove to another party that certain information is correct without revealing any data. They present a solution to trust and privacy in digital environments, and have been pivotal in scaling layer-1 blockchain protocols.

A poll put to the 18,000 followers of the Zero Knowledge Podcast provided a sample for a community gauge on the most important applications of ZK-proofs. Of the respondents, 42% selected “ZK for Scaling” as the segment that would experience the highest growth in the coming 12 months.

*ZK use cases. Source: State of ZK Report Q2 2023.*

ZK for privacy and identity followed at 23.8% and 22.2%, respectively, while zero-knowledge machine learning was the least selected segment.

The poll reflects the real-world applications of ZK-proofs, with several major Ethereum scaling protocols hitting mainnet in the first half of 2023.

This includes Polygon’s announcement of its forthcoming “2.0” multichain system, which will use ZK-proofs to transfer assets between networks and zkSync Era’s ZK Stack , which will allow developers to build ZK-rollups and proprietary layer-3 “hyperchains.“

ConsenSys also began onboarding partners to its mainnet Linea network on July 11. Linea is another prominent layer 2 that allows developers to build or migrate decentralized applications for Ethereum.

The sector has also attracted investment across several segments, including new zk-based layer 2’s and zkEthereum Virtual Machines (zkEVMs), as well as ZK-proofs for off-chain computation.

Ethereum scaling firm StarkWare , which helped pioneer zk technology, and the Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, invested in Kakarot — a zkEVM running on StarkWare’s technology that aims to build layer-3 applications.

The report also highlights a $115 million raise by Worldcoin to continue the development of its zk-powered digital identity application and ecosystem. Swiss nonprofit Anoma Foundation also features in the report after its latest $25 million raise to continue building its third-generation blockchain architecture for decentralized applications.

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Magazine: Here’s how Ethereum’s ZK-rollups can become interoperable

zkSync unveils new network of ‘Hyperchains’ — Testnet by end of year

June 26, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Coin Telegraph

zkSync Era’s new ZK Stack will use recursive scaling and “hyperchains” to create an ecosystem of interoperable protocols and sovereign chains.

Ethereum zero-knowledge proof scaling system zkSync Era has unveiled its answer to Optimism’s Superchain concept in the form of ZK Stack.

It’s a modular framework for a series of ZK-powered custom blockchains called yperchains, which will operate as a new layer on top of the existing layer-2 protocol. The chains will be composable and interoperable, enabling almost-instantaneous transfers of liquidity and flash loans between protocols in the system, which is not possible between L1 blockchains.

It shares some similarities to the Superchain network of L2s unveiled by Optimism when it announced Coinbase’s BASE would be the first addition.

Alex Gluchowski, the co-founder and CEO of zkSync, told Cointelegraph that the system did away with the need for clunky and insecure token bridges, which are the weak point exploited by many of the biggest crypto hacks.

"We have the ZK Stack now available for people to start building and we already have the first products we're working with to build it, and this will be live on the testnet definitely by the end of the year," he said.

While Gluchowski expects more than 95% of DApps will still port over directly to the L2, the Hyperchains will likely be used by projects with specific requirements around privacy, speed and data availability. Games, social networks, low-latency exchanges and banks are some of the potential users.

After a slightly muted launch, zkSync Era has grown in leaps and bounds, notching up almost $620 million in total value locked. It now processes 20.8 million transactions per month at around 8 transactions per second, peaking at 12 TPS.

*The fast growing TVL of zkSync Era. Source: L2beat*

Gluchowski compared the ZK Stack to the framework of the internet, which enables a limitless expansion of the network. “You can always add more servers, more cables, more connections and grow it from 1000 servers to 1 million servers to 1 billion servers,” he says. “Blockchains today are not having this property."

ZK Stack will make use of recursive scaling, where transactions are batched into a ZK proof, and then a series of those ZK proofs are batched into a single proof for progressively greater compression. This means the system can theoretically scale up to any demand.

"We can still combine multiple proofs from multiple protocols together and paste them together recursively," he explained, adding:

"Every once in a while we will just publish one single proof on Ethereum which trustlessly incorporates the proofs of all these chains."

The code is free and open source under the MIT/Apache license. zkSync told Cointelegraph that a couple of big partners are already on board to trial the system, but did not provide further details.

While the ZK Stack can theoretically connect other ZK roll-ups, such as Polygon’s zkEVM, ConsenSys’ Linea or StarkNet, Gluchowski indicated that this was unlikely. So the ZK Stack looks unlikely to solve the interoperability problem with ZK rollups any time soon.

Magazine: Here’s how Ethereum’s ZK-rollups can become interoperable

Why ZK rollups need data availability – Polygon co-founder

June 19, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Coin Telegraph

Zero knowledge rollups hold great promise for scaling blockchains but the technology requires certain provisions to ensure its success.

Zero knowledge proofs have been hailed as a major advancement for blockchain technology but the efficacy of these protocols will require streamlined data availability solutions to unlock their full potential.

Anurag Arjun, co-founder of Polygon and blockchain data availability protocol Avail, highlighted the importance of data availability for ZK rollups in an interview with Cointelegraph.

ZK rollups are a layer 2 blockchain scaling solution for blockchain networks allowing transactions to be batched and submitted to a layer 1 blockchain with the provision of a cryptographic proof. ZK proofs aim to provide faster and more efficient transaction processing while maintaining the security of a blockchain system.

As Ethereum continues on its roadmap following its shift to proof-of-stake after the Merge, data availability is set to become an important factor in an increasing dependence on rollup scaling protocols for transaction batching and verification.

Arjun, who’s spearheading Avail’s growth following the platform’s spin off from Polygon Labs, said that base layer blockchain protocols of the future will have to optimize data availability for proofs, verifications and settlements rather than execution.

“If the execution is being scaled by layer 2s or rollups, the base layer then doesn't have to worry about execution. They now have to optimize on things that they are used for, which is data availability.”

The transition sees blockchain technology moving from a ‘monolithic sort of blockchain architecture’ to more modular setups like that of Avail, which provides infrastructure for zk rollups and other off-chain scaling solutions.

Arjun said that zk proofs are under-appreciated given that they have removed the need for crypto economic assumptions in blockchain systems:

“It changes the whole landscape, you no longer need these very heavy execution engines or validator run systems because you have ZKs that provide absolute execution proof guarantee. The only other thing that you require is data availability.”

The importance of data availability for zk proofs is tied to the nature of the technology, which essentially provides proof of a transaction or network state without revealing the data itself.

“That's why it's named a validity proof, it does not give any indication of what the data is like.”

Providing a protocol that handles data availability also addresses the current costs associated with submitting zk rollups and optimistic rollups to the Ethereum blockchain for example.

As Arjun explained, rollups face two primary costs in submitting transaction data and proof data, with up to 70 percent of today’s costs spent on storing transaction data on Ethereum. Transaction data submission costs and proof verification costs could be reduced significantly by using a base layer data availability protocol.

Arjun added that proofs and data go hand in hand despite the fact that ZKs provide verifiable mathematical proofs or ‘absolute execution proof guarantee’ on chain without revealing data or the data needing to be verified.

Magazine: Here’s how Ethereum’s ZK-rollups can become interoperable

Are ZK-proofs the answer to Bitcoin’s Ordinal and BRC-20 problem?

May 15, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Bitcoin

Zero-knowledge proofs could be a viable means to address recent network congestion and high fees on the Bitcoin blockchain.

The Bitcoin (BTC) network has faced a litmus test in recent weeks due to the increased demands of Ordinals and BRC-20 tokens being inscribed onto the preeminent blockchain.

The resulting increase in fees and transaction congestion has left the wider Bitcoin community frustrated, considering that some BRC-20 tokens involve meme tokens that have attracted billions of dollars in capital in recent weeks.

The Ethereum ecosystem has benefitted from the development of scaling solutions that have brought massive improvements in network capacity and processing ability. Zero-knowledge proofs (zk-proofs) in particular have grabbed headlines over the past few months, with a number of projects adopting the scaling technology.

Cointelegraph spoke exclusively to Eli Ben-Sasson, the co-founder of Ethereum-focused StarkWare and the pioneer of zk-STARKs (zero-knowledge Scalable Transparent Argument of Knowledge), to explore whether the technology could be the answer to Bitcoin’s latest challenge.

Zk-proofs are cryptographic protocols that allow a party to prove a statement or data is true without revealing any information. The technology assures privacy and security while adding capacity to blockchains in particular, by reducing the computational load needed to verify transactions and other data and information stored on chain.

The renowned mathematician and cryptographer credits Bitcoin for starting his journey of exploration around the promise of validity, cryptographic and zero-knowledge proofs to improve blockchain technology. Highlighting the "deeply entwined" nature of the scaling solutions and blockchains, Ben-Sasson summed up the potential for zk-proofs to benefit the Bitcoin network:

“Validity proofs and STARKs allow you in a very efficient way to use the integrity of math to extend the orbit of integrity that a blockchain covers to invite anyone to participate and add more capacity to the network.”

Bitcoin’s blockchain will continue to act as an inner circle of integrity, while zk-proofs extend the origin of integrity and bring in more capacity, creating what Ben-Sasson described as a "positive flywheel" effect:

“The more capacity you bring, the more social functions can be used, even if it's money, you can do micro payments, or you can add new things if you allow smart contracts. And then there's more trust in the system and it adds more value.”

Ben-Sasson reiterated his belief that the Bitcoin network could see greater integrity and efficiency from the mathematical benefits afforded by validity proofs. He added that the likes of Bitcoin developers Greg Maxwell, Gavin Andresen and Mike Hearn had been early proponents of STARK transparent proofs of validity and privacy, which do not require trusted setup and remain quantum secure.

The potential for Bitcoin, which first and foremost acts as decentralized hard money, to allow more general forms of computation and social functions remains a discussion point for its community. For Ben-Sasson, the potential of incorporating zk-proofs is clearly being driven by the demand in the market for extra functionality on top of Bitcoin that is being powered by BRC-20 tokens:

“For it (BRC-20) to really have the level of integrity that is offered by Bitcoin, there must be a hard fork that allows these things to be verified and validated and have the integrity of Bitcoin. And that's a huge decision and a huge debate point.”

As previously reported by Cointelegraph, ZeroSync Association is a newly formed startup that is developing zk-proof powered tools allowing users to validate the state of the Bitcoin network without having to download the blockchain or trust a third party for verification.

ZeroSync’s validity proof allows users to verify Bitcoin’s chain state instantly, removing the need to download over 500GB of blockchain data currently required to sync a Bitcoin node.

ZeroSync co-founder Robin Linus told Cointelegraph that its chain state proof does not solve network congestion directly, but would remove the need for users to download inscriptions that have been clogging up the Bitcoin blockchain.

However zk-proofs still hold promise in helping remedy current network congestion. Linus said ZeroSync has also developed a Bitcoin client-side validation protocol dubbed zkCoins, which allows processing up to 100 token transactions per second:

“It uses inscriptions, but the on-chain footprint is much lower than BRC-20, and it does not bloat the UTXO set.”

Linus added that a SNARK (Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge) verifier on Bitcoin’s main layer could enable an entire spectrum of scaling solutions including zk-rollups, trustless bridges to sidechains as well as the potential to peg BTC onto zkCoins to enhance privacy and increase throughput:

“It's fantastic to see that validity proofs are gaining more traction in the Bitcoin community now. People have already started discussing a new opcode on the bitcoin-dev mailing list.”

Linus also noted that other Bitcoin layer-2 scaling solutions such as the Lightning Network, Fedimint and Chashu, which are privacy-preserving custodians based on Chaumian eCash, have seen increased interest following network congestion driven by Ordinals and BRC-20 minting.

Magazine: ZK-rollups are ‘the endgame’ for scaling blockchains: Polygon Miden founder

DeFi driving zkSync growth as 1inch deploys on Ethereum layer-2 scaling platform

April 20, 2023 Coin Telegraph

1inch Network

1inch Network is the latest decentralized Finance protocol to deploy on Ethereum layer-2 scaling platform zkSync Era.

Decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol 1inch has deployed its aggregation and limit order protocols on Ethereum layer-2 scaling solution zkSync Era to tap into faster and cheaper transactions.

1inch Network is the latest of a host of Ethereum-based platforms and services to deploy on the zero-knowledge proof (zk-proof) based scaling platform. Uniswap, SushiSwap, Maker and Curve Finance have also launched on the zk-proof roll-up zkSync Era.

1inch Network co-founder Sergej Kunz highlighted the promise of the layer-2 solution as his platform joins a handful of first-movers to integrate with the zk-proof powered protocol:

“As zkSync Era gains steam, 1inch users will benefit from faster and cheaper transactions.”

A statement from Matter Labs CEO Alex Gluchowski, who heads up the zkSync development firm, notes that DeFi protocols have been a major factor in the uptake of zkSync era:

“DeFi has been a driving force behind zkSync Era’s explosive growth that has seen over $200 million in TVL driven to the protocol in just three short weeks, and we expect the deployment of 1inch to contribute to even greater adoption and usage of zkSync Era.”

Gluchowski said that 1inch Network’s position as the largest decentralized exchange aggregator by on-chain volume would provide deeper liquidity to zkSync Era. The deployment is also touted to offer faster trades, better rates and lower transaction slippage.

zkSync is among a number of layer-2 solutions that have pioneered the use of zk-rollups to increase Ethereum’s throughput and scalability. The technology enables layer-2 protocols to move computation and blockchain state storage offchain, allowing these platforms to process thousands of transactions before providing summary data proofs to Ethereum’s mainnet.

Matter Labs secured $200 million during a series-c investment round in November 2022, taking its total fundraising to over $450 million to continue the development of its Ethereum scaling platform.

Other major Ethereum development firms, including Polygon and ConsenSys, have also developed their own zk-proof powered scaling protocols. ConsenSys released its zkEVM rollup to its public testnet on March 28.

Meanwhile, Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal described zk-rollups as “the holy grail of Ethereum scaling” upon the release of its open-source zkEVM Ethereum scaling technology to the mainnet on March 27.

Magazine: ZK-rollups are ‘the endgame’ for scaling blockchains: Polygon Miden founder

Buterin weighs in on zk-EVMs impact on decentralization and security

April 3, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Client

Vitalik Buterin has weighed the impacts of the addition of zk-EVMs at the protocol level, saying it could speed up the verification process on the base layer.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin wants to see zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machines (zk-EVMs) built on Ethereum’s first layer to speed up the verification process on the base blockchain.

Buterin explained in a March 31 post that it’s possible to integrate a zk-EVM on the base layer without compromising on decentralization and security. The technology enables Ethereum Virtual Machines to execute smart contracts on the blockchain with ZK proofs.

How will Ethereum's multi-client philosophy interact with ZK-EVMs?https://t.co/MPpTPNhldR
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) March 31, 2023

Ethereum was developed with a “multi-client philosophy” to ensure decentralization at the protocol level, Buterin explained. By integrating zk-EVMs at the Ethereum layer 1, it would be the third type of client.

“Once that happens, zk-EVMs de-facto become a third type of Ethereum client, just as important to the network's security as execution clients and consensus clients are today.”

The other two clients are the “consensus” and “execution” clients. The consensus client implements proof-of-stake to ensure nodes in the network reach agreement. While the execution listens to new transactions broadcasted in the network, executes them in standard EVM and holds a copy of the latest state of the blockchain.

In championing the idea of zk-EVM verification at the Ethereum base layer, Buterin firstly considered the advantages and drawbacks of treating the layer 1 as a “clearinghouse” by pushing almost all activity to layer 2’s.

He said many layer 1-based apps would become “economically nonviable” and that small funds — worth a few hundred dollars or less — may get “stuck” in the event that gas fees grow too large.

Buterin explained that zk-EVMs would need to be “open” in that different clients each have different zk-EVM implementations and each client waits for a proof that is compatible with its own implementation before accepting a block as valid.

He prefers this approach because it wouldn’t abandon the “multi-client” paradigm, and an open zk-EVM infrastructure would also ensure that new clients could be developed, which would further decentralize Ethereum at the base layer.

Buterin said zkEVMs may be the solution to “The Verge,” a part of the Ethereum roadmap which aims to make verification at the base layer easier.

Updated roadmap diagram! pic.twitter.com/MT9BKgYcJH
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) November 4, 2022

Buterin acknowledged that the zk-EVM infrastructure may cause data inefficiency and latency issues, however he said those challenges wouldn’t be “too hard” to overcome.

If the zk-EVM ecosystem is implemented, it would make running a full node on Ethereum even easier, Buterin explained:

“Ethereum blocks would be smaller than today, anyone could run a fully verifying node on their laptop or even their phone or inside a browser extension, and this would all happen while preserving the benefits of Ethereum's multi-client philosophy.”

Ethereum layer-2 scaling platform Polygon has made considerable progress with its zk-EVM, having recently open-sourced its zkEVM to the Polygon mainnet on March 27, promising reduced transaction costs and increased throughput of smart contract deployments.

StarkWare, ConsenSys, Scroll, zkSync and Immutable are also deploying similar zkEVM scaling solutions.

Magazine: Attack of the zkEVMs! Crypto’s 10x moment

Zero-knowledge proofs coming to Bitcoin, overhauling network state validation

March 28, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Bitcoin

Zero-knowledge proofs have powered the development of Ethereum layer 2s, and now they’re coming to Bitcoin.

Bitcoin (BTC) users will soon be able to use zero-knowledge proofs (ZK-proofs) to expedite the process of verifying individual blocks and, eventually, the entire blockchain.

ZeroSync Association, a Swiss-based nonprofit, is developing tooling which allows users to validate the state of the Bitcoin network without having to download the blockchain or trust a third party for verification.

ZeroSync was formed to develop and maintain open-source software that enables succinct ZK-proofs on the Bitcoin blockchain. The group uses StarkWare’s proprietary Zero-Knowledge Scalable Transparent Argument of Knowledge (zk-STARK) validity proofs to generate ZK-proofs for the Bitcoin network.

The tool promises to overhaul the process of verifying the Bitcoin blockchain, which still requires node operators to download a large amount of data to synchronize the correct state of the Bitcoin network.

ZeroSync is using ZK-proofs to eventually generate valid proof and verify the latest state of the blockchain almost instantaneously.

ZK-proofs have been a revelation for the Ethereum ecosystem, with various proof methods powering several layer-2 scaling platforms, including Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism and StarkNet.

An announcement from the ZeroSync Association highlights the promise of ZK-proofs for blockchain scalability and privacy by providing “almost-fixed-size” proofs verifying large computations.

The project’s work pioneers the application of ZK-proofs for the Bitcoin network, with the organization describes Bitcoin’s relative simplicity and the Unspent Transaction Output (UTXO) model as a unique value proposition for applying recursive proofs.

ZeroSync notes that the ZK-Proof tools do not require consensus changes or additional trust assumptions for the Bitcoin network and its users. The organization is building a software development kit that will allow developers to generate custom validity proof for specific use cases without needing indepth domain expertise.

ZeroSync is in the process of building a client for fast initial block download as well as implementing the first complete proof of Bitcoin consensus. The client will allow users to sync a full node without making code changes to Bitcoin core.

ZeroSync is using the Cairo programming language, pioneered by StarkWare, to create STARK-provable programs for computations.

ZeroSync’s tool is currently in a prototype state but has the ability to prove the validity of individual assumed valid blocks, which verify all Bitcoin rules except for scripts. The team also has a working in-browser demo verifier for STARK proofs of Bitcoin blocks.

The ZeroSync Association was initially funded by Geometry and StarkWare but is establishing a nonprofit entity to enable ongoing development and maintenance from stakeholders within the Bitcoin community.

A statement from StarkWare president and co-founder Eli Ben-Sasson, who co-invented zk-STARKS, summed up the magnitude of ZK-proofs coming to the Bitcoin ecosystem:

“After years of frustration about slow syncing, users will be able to sync with the network much faster, and with less computation. It’s a technological leap akin to the transition from slow dial-up internet to high-speed broadband.”

Lightning Labs, the team behind the Bitcoin layer-2 Lightning Network payment system, is a contributing partner to ZeroSync’s project.

The firm intends to use ZeroSync to power compressed transaction history proofs for its Taproot Asset Representation Overlay (Taro) protocol, which aims to power the issuance of digital assets on the Bitcoin blockchain.

Zero-Knowledge Proofs