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Donna Johnson
Donna Johnson

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zkEVM | Boosting Ethereum’s Scalability

Ethereum has grown significantly in popularity in recent years as a platform for blockchain app development. However, its scalability has become more important and challenging than ever. ZkEVM (zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine) is a scaling technology that emerges as a solution to address the scalability issues of the platform. The technology boosts Ethereum’s potential by using proofs and zero-knowledge rollups.

Ethereum app development can play a significant role in boosting Ethereum’s scalability by implementing various scaling solutions that address the current limitations of the Ethereum network

In this blog, let’s explore the emergence of zkEVM and evaluate its potential in helping Ethereum overcome its scalability challenges.

Understanding Zero Knowledge Rollups
Zero-knowledge roll-up is a scaling technique that groups various transactions and rolls them up into a batch. This bundle of transactions is further shown as a single transaction. In this manner, the validation information is not sent to the blockchain; only the transaction summary is.

Additionally, it is a safe choice that does not reveal sensitive data. It processes transactions off-chain and validates transactions using zero-knowledge proofs. Furthermore, it makes it possible for validators to maintain their anonymity while processing a transaction on the network.

You may also like to explore | Comprehending ZK Rollups | Layer 2 Scaling Solutions

How do zkEVMs Function?
A rollup that is EVM-compatible and protected by a ZKP (zero-knowledge proof) is known as a zkEVM. This gives it the enhanced functionality of some Optimistic Rollup solutions that are EVM-compatible, as well as the security of earlier zk-Rollup choices that did not offer compatibility with Ethereum’s EVM. These new zkEVMs cut gas prices and boost Ethereum network throughput while enabling improved Ethereum process functionality (smart contracts and dApps).

Advantages of zkEVM
The development of ZK-rollup projects that are EVM-compatible will be encouraged by the building of a fully functional zkEVM. They provide the following advantages.

Security
Compared to other scaling initiatives, ZK-rollups offer higher security guarantees since they use validity proofs to validate the accuracy of off-chain computation.

Lower Costs
Rollups get protection from the Mainnet by broadcasting transaction data to Ethereum as CALL DATA. Optimistic roll-ups and ZK-rollups broadcast Ethereum varying amounts of data. The necessity for CALL DATA may even be eliminated if the zkEVM decides not to publish transaction inputs and instead publishes just final state changes.

You may also like to read | A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding zk-Snark

zkEVMs from Polygon and zkSync
The first two zkEMVs to be made available to the general public were launched by zkSync and Polygon just days apart in late March 2023 (on March 24 and 27, respectively).

The first zkEVM to be made publically accessible, zkSync’s solution, dubbed zkSync Era, went live with excessive hoopla. It has been in development since 2019.

The Polygon zkEVM is open source, and Vitalik Buterin, the inventor of Ethereum, was granted the honor of sending the first transaction once it was made available to the general public.

Also, Check | Exploring Modular Blockchain | Moving Beyond Monolothic

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Conclusion
The principles of zero-knowledge Ethereum virtual machines were covered in the comprehensive guide to zkEVM.
At the same time, instances like zkEVM Polygon demonstrate how zero-knowledge EVMs lay the groundwork for superior user interfaces.
The features of faster transaction finality, security, and scalability enable zkEVMs to grow at an amazing rate.
If you have a project in mind or want to know how to get started with zkEVM development, you may connect with our skilled blockchain developers.

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