Vitalik Buterin promoted the deployment of Ethereum Zero-Knowledge Virtual Machines (zk-EVMs) on the Ethereum mainnet.
In a blog postButerin said zk-EVMs would speed up Ethereum’s verification process without affecting network decentralization and security.
zk-EVM to interact with Ethereum’s multi-client philosophy
According to the Russian-Canadian programmer, Ethereum maintains its security and decentralization through its multi-tenant philosophy, which allows users to run nodes through a collaboratively managed specification, with multiple teams performing implementations.
The creator of Ethereum believes that the whole validation process can be modified using zk-EVM, which will improve the scalability of the network.
A zk-EVM is a new type of Ethereum virtual machine that improves the scalability of Ethereum by generating zero-knowledge proofs while supporting smart contracts and application compatibility.
Ethereum’s layer 2 scaling solution Polygon has already deployed its zk-EVMs to improve transaction speed. Polygon’s zk-EVM aggregates multiple transactions into a single proof, allowing the network to execute them smoothly.
Buterin believes that zk-EVMs should not be used only for layer 2 protocols, as their deployment on Ethereum’s base layer (L1) is possible. He declared that zk-EVMs would solve Ethereum’s base layer verification problem.
“Once that happens, ZK-EVMs become a de facto third type of Ethereum client, just as important to network security as runtime clients and consensus clients are today,” a- he declared.
Deployment of zk-EVM on Ethereum base layer
Buterin further described various ways in which zk-EVMs could be deployed on the Ethereum network, alongside their challenges.
THE Ethereum Developer mentioned the possibility of having the base layer function as a clearinghouse for L2 protocols when almost all activity is forced to move there. However, he revealed that this option would make existing L1-based protocols “economically unviable” and increase transaction fees.
The second option would be to create a type 1 zk-EVM to verify the EVM execution of an Ethereum L1 block. While this option would have its challenges, the computer scientist believes that the developers would find a way to solve them.
“With these technologies in place, the future looks very bright. Ethereum blocks would be smaller than today, anyone could run a full verification node on their laptop or even their phone or in a browser extension, and it would all happen while preserving the benefits of Ethereum’s multi-client philosophy,” Buterin added.
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