Polygon laboratories has presented the Type 1 Verifier, which provides EVM blockchains with the ability to deploy zero-knowledge scalability technology.
This tool is essential in transforming EVM blockchains into Validium, facilitating proof verification and compliance with Ethereum standards. Let’s see all the details below.
Polygon Labs: EVM chains will be able to apply zero-knowledge scalability technology
As expected last week, Polygon introduced the “Type 1 Prover,” a technology designed to make EVM-compatible chains easier to adopt zero-knowledge proofs.
The Type 1 verifier is expected to be released by the end of the year and will be integrated into Polygon’s CDK (software stack).
This represents a step forward compared to the previous Type 2 testing mechanism, which was not compatible with other EVM chains.
Brendan Boer, co-founder of Polygon, stated the following:
“The Type 1 verifier can generate zero-knowledge proofs for any EVM chain without the need for hard forks or adjustments to existing customers.”
Polygon Labs plans to use this verifier to convert various blockchains, including sidechains and optimistic rollups, into valid.
The latter represents a specialized form of Layer 2 networking that uses zero-knowledge proofs to improve efficiency and reduce transaction costs.
Validium networks only store zk-proofs on the Ethereum mainnet, keeping the actual transaction data off-chain and backed by a data availability solution.
This approach differs from ZK-Rollups, which must also publish application data proofs to the Ethereum mainnet.
Farmer emphasized that projects can choose to become fully ZK-Rollup if they want to use the Type 1 verifier. The final decision lies in the hands of the teams involved.
Migration to ZK: benefits and innovations
Transitioning to a ZK-based network, such as Validium or ZK-Rollup, offers potentially significant benefits for Layer 2 projects.
Among these we see the elimination of the seven-day withdrawal delay associated with optimistic rollup solutions, such as Optimism and Arbitration, according to Boer’s words.
This delay has been the subject of debate as it adds time and cost to users who rely on third-party bridges for transactions.
Farmer has highlighted that users incur significant costs for Optimistic Layer 2, which could be avoided by upgrading to a ZK-based network.
After the transition to ZK, the chains can be connected via AggLayer, Polygon’s interoperability protocol, the first version of which will be released in February.
This allows developers to connect blockchains and ensure consistent security across modular and monolithic chains, including those within the Polygon ecosystem.
AggLayer will be an essential part of Polygon 2.0, the next iteration of the Polygon network. Unlike traditional interoperability solutions, AggLayer will unify the ZK proofs of all connected chains.
Vitalik Buterin’s thoughts on Polygon’s latest news
The latest news from Polygon mentioned above has caught the attention of the crypto community, including Ethereum co-founder, Vitalik Buterine.
As we said, the main point of this progress is the launch of the ‘type 1 prover’, a new component designed to improve the scalability and interoperability of Ethereum-compatible networks.
The technological genius of this advancement is not lost on Buterin, who has long advocated the potential of zero-knowledge proofs in improving the capabilities of Layer 2 networks, bringing them closer to their underlying blockchains.
Buterin has shared his vision for the future, hoping that over time everything will evolve to “type 1”, thanks to improvements both in ZK-EVM and in Ethereum itself to make them more compatible with ZK-SNARK.
In such a scenario, we would have several ZK-EVM implementations that could be used for both ZK rollups and verifying the Ethereum chain itself.
The importance of this breakthrough lies in its potential to unify the fragmented blockchain sector.
By allowing EVM chains and optimistic rollups to connect to the Type 1 prover and then to the Polygon aggregation layer without modification, networks can take advantage of Ethereum’s extensive liquidity and value.