Polygon, the Ethereum scaling protocol, has introduced a new Type 1 prover that enables ecosystem chains like optimistic rollups to utilize zero-knowledge proof (ZK-proofs) layer-2 functionality. The co-founder of Polygon, Brendan Farmer, stated that the development of this technology took a year to complete and was created in collaboration with Toposware. The Type 1 prover allows for the generation of ZK-proofs for mainnet Ethereum blocks at a cost of $0.002 to $0.003 per transaction. It is dual licensed under MIT and Apache 2.0 and will be available on GitHub.
Farmer explained that a Type 1 prover is the final form of a zkEVM, which enables the upgrade of any existing chain, such as Ethereum layer 1 or an optimistic rollup, into a zkEVM L2. This upgrade allows for a trustless connection to Ethereum and Polygon’s aggregation layer, enabling participation in the Polygon ecosystem. The benchmark data of Polygon’s Type 1 zkEVM prover shows the associated costs of proving layer-1 blocks from the Ethereum blockchain.
Historically, industry participants believed that a layer-1 prover was impractical and costly. However, the Polygon team has managed to provide efficiency and cost-effectiveness. This development has significant implications for the broader Ethereum ecosystem as it allows the generation of ZK-proofs for any Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) chain.
The technology also serves as a public good for the Ethereum ecosystem by eliminating the need for users and services to maintain a full node. Instead, users can verify a zero-knowledge proof in their browser, receiving full node security guarantees without the hassle of running a node.
Polygon’s announcement aligns with the zkEVM framework originally proposed by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. The Type 1 prover is considered to have the highest level of compatibility with Ethereum, allowing the generation of proofs for EVM chains with modifications or migrations while preserving execution logic.
Additionally, the Type 1 prover will benefit optimistic rollups, popular Ethereum L2 protocols that bundle transactions off-chain and submit proofs to the mainnet. By utilizing the Type 1 prover, optimistic rollups can enhance the user experience and avoid the seven-day withdrawal delay, which incurs significant costs for users using third-party bridges.
Polygon has chosen to make this technology open source, aligning with the ethos of Ethereum. According to Farmer, this decision reflects their belief that it is a significant public good that should be available to anyone.
In December 2023, Polygon co-founder Jordi Baylina outlined the layer 2’s goal of consolidating its scaling networks and technology to complete the “Polygon 2.0” cross-chain coordination protocol in 2024.
Magazine:
Slumdog billionaire: The incredible rags-to-riches tale of Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder of Polygon.