This new Polygon validator allows any EVM-compatible blockchain to become a Layer 2 with zero-knowledge proofs, and easily integrate with the Polygon network, through an aggregation layer.
Polygon’s new zkEVM Type 1 validator is the result of a collaboration between Polygon Labs and Toposware, one of the most prominent teams in the field of zero-knowledge proofs. Together, they have achieved an impressive breakthrough: the ability to generate zero-knowledge proofs for real Ethereum mainnet blocks, at an average cost of $0,002 to $0,003 per transaction.
This verifier is just the beginning of a new era for Polygon Labs, according to they affirm its enthusiastic managers, as the technology behind it will be used to improve the efficiency, security, and usability of all Polygon protocols, built with the Polygon CDK development kit or Polygon Chain Development Kit.
Low-cost testing on the Ethereum mainnet
The Ethereum mainnet is a complex and dynamic environment where millions of transactions are processed every day. Until recently, it was very difficult or very expensive to test Ethereum blocks on the mainnet, limiting the possibilities for on-chain innovation and improvement.
However, thanks to the work of the Toposware team, it is now possible to test entire Ethereum blocks, containing hundreds of transactions, for a very affordable price: between $0,20 and $0,50 per block. This opens up new opportunities to optimize the performance, security, and scalability of this blockchain ecosystem.
zkEVM Type 1 is an open-source tool that allows testing Ethereum blocks on the mainnet using a lightweight and efficient infrastructure. This verifier is dual licensed by MIT and Apache 2.0 and can be found on GitHub.
The innovative technique used by zkEVM Type 1 reduces the time and space required to test blocks, without compromising the efficiency, security or integrity of the network. The Toposware team is continuously working on improving it and hopes to reduce the cost of testing blocks by 30-50 times in the future.
Polygon Labs continues to advance zero-knowledge proofs
Polygon Labs is one of the pioneering blockchain projects in the field of ZK (Zero Knowledge) technology, offering innovative and scalable solutions for data and transaction verification on the blockchain.
For two years now, Polygon Labs has been working on developing the zkEVM, an Ethereum-compatible virtual machine that uses zero-knowledge proofs to ensure the security and privacy of operations.
With the zkEVM, Polygon Labs has successfully demonstrated full blocks on the Ethereum L1 network at a transaction cost of less than a cent, which is a significant advancement for the ZK ecosystem and Ethereum in general. Both the project and its developers are committed to advancing ZK technology and supporting blockchain builders and ecosystem users who want to take advantage of the technology.
Driving innovation with zkEVM
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, who recently praised Polygon Network’s technology, proposed a framework to classify zkEVM types based on their degree of compatibility with Ethereum and the EVM. Types range from 1 to 4, with 1 being the most compatible and 4 being the least compatible.
A Type 1 zkEVM is capable of generating proofs for any existing EVM blockchain, without the need to modify or migrate it, thus keeping all native EVM logic, such as the storage structure and hash functions, intact. This means that a chain using the Polygon zkEVM verifier in Type 1 mode can interact with existing EVM clients without any issues; it can even prove Ethereum blocks.
This validator is open source and has a public license, making it a resource for the benefit and scalability of Ethereum.
Combining zkEVM Type 1 and AggLayer
Additionally, Polygon Labs presented its proposal for a new scaling paradigm in January: aggregation (AggLayer). This approach seeks to overcome the limitations of the two most common blockchain scaling models, monolithic and modular, by improving access to shared state and liquidity in a multi-chain ecosystem.
Aggregation solves the problem of fragmentation in the ecosystem, so in the future, the entire Polygon ecosystem will be integrated using AggLayer. This decentralized protocol will facilitate cross-chain interoperability and offer a user experience (UX) that, from the end-user's point of view, will be perceived as a single blockchain.
Together with AggLayer, the Type 1 upgrade of the Polygon zkEVM validator enables something unique: taking an existing, unchanged EVM chain and connecting it directly to the AggLayer, and then to all the liquidity and value available on Ethereum. This is the goal that several projects have set themselves with the Polygon CDK, the open-source, modular development kit developed to launch ZK-based Layer2 networks, such as Immutable zkEVM, Manta Network, and Canto.
This achievement represents not only a technical milestone, but also a major advantage for Polygon CDK. Protocol creators using Polygon CDK will be able to choose from: the Polygon zkEVM validator in Type 1 or Type 2 mode; various execution clients, with zkNode or CDK-Erigon; rollup or validium modes; and various data availability solutions, with custom DACs or Celestia.
Furthermore, this technology can be used in Type 2 mode which further reduces costs and latency, while remaining compatible with existing Ethereum tools and applications.
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