NEAR Foundation and Polygon Labs have joined forces to develop a WebAssembly (WASM)-based zero-knowledge (ZK) proof-based verifier, which will allow developers to build new EVM- and WASM-compatible custom L2 chains.
The Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and the modular WebAssembly framework offer two different blockchain environments. However, the developers of the Near protocol and Polygon Network are introducing a new innovation that will allow Polygon CDK developers to build or deploy new L2 chains compatible with EVM or WASM.
This new innovation is a zero-knowledge (ZK) proof verifier for WASM blockchains, which was developed to bridge the gap between WASM-based blockchains and the Ethereum ecosystem, in order to improve scalability, interoperability, and decentralization.
As explained by the NEAR Foundation, through this new innovation, blockchain developers using Polygon CDK will be able to bring to life new L2 blockchains, powered by ZK, that take advantage of all the benefits of the Ethereum ecosystem, including liquidity.
Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal also highlighted that the zkWASM verifier will further boost the development and adoption of zero-knowledge technology, as well as expand the blockchain's second-layer ecosystem.
Near and Polygon move towards a more decentralized and interconnected future
Blockchain technology offers a unique opportunity to create a collaborative and decentralized environment, where different actors can share and verify information without intermediaries. This principle is what both the Near Foundation and Polygon Labs developers seek to reinforce with the development of the zkWASM zero-knowledge (ZK) proof verifier.
With this ZK verifier, the validity of transactions and data on WASM blockchains can be proven without revealing any sensitive details.
This is an innovation that represents a significant advance for the security, privacy, interoperability and scalability of blockchain-based decentralized applications and brings the Near ecosystem closer to that of Polygon and Ethereum.
In addition to the development of the zkWASM validator, the NEAR Foundation also announced that it is joining the Polygon CDK ecosystem as a core contributor.
The Near Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports the development of the Near protocol, one of the most scalable blockchain ecosystems in the industry thanks to its sharding-based infrastructure.
By collaborating with Polygon CDK, the NEAR Foundation is facilitating the introduction of zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs to its modular WebAssembly framework, to enrich its ecosystem and unlock new possibilities for creating or connecting Ethereum-compatible ZK chains, to offer more flexibility to projects in its ecosystem that want to take advantage of the liquidity and benefits of this blockchain.
In addition to this, Nailwal emphasized that the increased convergence between Near and Ethereum chains, made possible by the collaboration of Polygon Labs and Near Foundation, represents a significant step towards a more harmonious multi-chain future and paves the way for building a standard aligned with the Web3 development spirit.
By combining their strengths in this pioneering initiative, Near and Polygon Labs are not only improving their individual protocols, but also contributing to the fabric of a more decentralized, efficient and interconnected future, he noted.
The zkWASM verifier is planned to be released next year.
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