Zero-Knowledge Proofs Go Open Source: Not Only Blockchain Apps Can Benefit

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ZKM, a leading provider of open-source, chain-agnostic zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) technology, has officially transitioned from its incubation phase within the MetisDAO Foundation:

Why do this?

Blockchain has huge potential. But there are so many “Ethereum killer” chains, the result is fragmentation. For most potential users, that's overwhelming. So they stay away.

ZKM aims to help onboard Billions of people to Ethereum

Website: https://t.co/JXpeMHrWq4 pic.twitter.com/0lkdUYjfMe

— ZKM (@ProjectZKM) July 13, 2023

The development, scheduled to launch on the Ethereum testnet in January 2024, follows the release of a new white paper detailing ZKM’s strategy to make Ethereum the common settlement layer for all blockchain and non-blockchain applications:

ZKM’s launch brings a Hybrid Rollup solution to the industry, which is a combination of optimistic rollup and Zero-Knowledge Rollup. The solution leverages the Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipelined Stages (MIPS) architecture so that existing layer 2 networks including Optimism, Arbitrum and Metis can benefit from the same processors that gave Sony Playstation, Nintendo 64, and Tesla Model S their computer vision chip.

Set to utilize a reduced instruction set architecture to improve processing time and functionality, ZKM will also offer future compatibility with alternative Layer 1s (L1s), including BNB, Solana, Fantom, Avalanche, Celo and more.

“In addition to streamlining on-chain and off-chain data verification, ZKM can plug into all existing L1s and can also add verifiable computing facilities to IoT and ML that incorporate MIPS processors,” said Kevin Liu, co-founder of ZKM.

Beyond blockchain, ZKM will integrate zkMIPS to optimize non-blockchain systems including the Internet of Things (IoT), Zero-Knowledge Machine Learning (ZKML) and Cloud Computing — all to provide secure and private interactions with connected devices and networks.

Further, James Zhang, co-founder of Polyhedra Network, stated:

“The fundamental concept behind ZKMIPS revolves around constructing a STARK prover based on the MIPS structure, incorporating various optimizations. Additionally, the paper introduces recursive proofs to reduce proof size and gas costs, while also proposing proof aggregation to further enhance prover efficiency.”

ZKM also ensures secure computation by verifying all transactions using Ethereum’s extensive decentralized security base, benefiting from ZKP security without the need to handle ZK proofing individually.

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