zkEVMs can validate and execute blockchain operations without needing to expose all the details. It's like saying, "I can prove this transaction or contract is valid and follows the rules, but I won't show you all the inner workings of it." Image source: Chainlink

Challenges of building zkEVMs

While zkEVMs opened promising doors, they realized their potential posed major technical challenges. The EVM was never designed with proof, so several aspects conflict with this new paradigm.

For one, the EVM's stack-based architecture proved difficult to convert to a format compatible with proving. Its special opcodes for error handling also confounded efforts to build verifiable circuits.

Storage was another hurdle, as the EVM's Merkle Patricia tree clashed with proving needs. Replacing the KECCAK256 hashing function helped but risked breaking infrastructure compatibility.

Most significantly, zero-knowledge proofs demand computationally-intensive operations that drive up costs, especially on-chain. Generating and verifying proofs for each smart contract execution transaction consumed prohibitive resources.

Addressing these issues required rethinking core EVM components and sparking innovations in proofs like optimized circuits and hybrid STARK-SNARK schemes. Much progress has been made, though optimizations continue as the field matures. Perfecting zkEVMs necessitated reconciling two dissimilar yet essential technologies.

Types of zkEVMs

While research continues, several zkEVM systems have already launched, each approaching the technical challenges somewhat differently:

• Polygon Hermez: Leverages a combination of SNARKs and STARKs along with an EVM bytecode interpreter on a zkEVM. Powered by the MATIC token.
• zkSync: Their zkEVM relies on custom zk-opcodes and a register-based virtual machine design. There’s no native token yet, although speculation around an upcoming airdrop launch exists.
• AppliedZKP: An implementation focused on developer ergonomics through Solidity integration.
• Matter Labs ZKSync: Matter Labs uses intermediate representations and an optimizing compiler.

Beyond technical distinctions, these zkEVMs also vary in features, user experience optimizations, and partnership ecosystems. All represent significant milestones in proving EVM compatibility while maintaining practical usability and performance.

Popular zkEVM Projects and Focus Areas

Benefits of zkEVMs

通過將以太坊的多功能智能合約與隱私保護擴展相協調，zkEVM 承諾為用戶和開發人員帶來大量好處：

• 更快、更便宜的交易

  ：通過批量在鏈下執行交易，zkEVM 每秒可以處理數千筆交易，而以太坊的 TPS 為 15。

  天然氣成本也低得多。

• 增強隱私

  ：用戶無需信任中心化服務即可受益于強大的隱私，因為公共區塊鏈上僅公開加密證明。

• 智能合約擴展

  ：dApp 能夠通過第 2 層進行擴展，同時保留去中心化安全性等核心以太坊優勢。

• 開發連續性

  ：開發人員利用相同的 Solidity/Vyper 語言、工具、測試框架和充滿活力的以太坊生態系統。

• 跨鏈互操作性

  ：隨著 EVM 兼容性的提高，橋有一天可能允許資產和計算無縫地穿越不同的鏈。

zkEVM 的廣泛采用可以實現以太坊作為通用去中心化背板的愿景，第 2 層網絡通過可擴展性和隱私性釋放其全部潛力。

然而，在擴大這些好處方面仍然存在挑戰。

現狀與展望

雖然 zkEVM 在概念上取得了突飛猛進的發展，但研究和大規模廣泛使用之間仍然存在主要障礙。

其中最主要的是高昂的部署成本，目前將 zkEVM 的使用限制在特定場景中并限制了總體吞吐量。

此外，與更簡單的解決方案相比，將復雜的 zkEVM 證明完全集成到應用程序中會帶來 UI/UX 挑戰和降低開發人員生產力的風險。

然而，像 Manta 這樣的項目正在努力消除這種復雜性。

展望未來，對 zkSNARKS/STARKS 構造、電路設計和完善 EVM 抽象層的持續優化有望使成本和可用性差距穩步縮小。

zkPorter 匯總聚合器等有前景的開發可能會進一步提高吞吐量。

隨著 zkEVM 采用的不斷增長，其他研究途徑（例如減少證明大小、提供高級密碼學云服務以及使用專用硬件）也值得探索。

網絡之間的互操作性也仍處于萌芽階段。

底線

盡管挑戰依然存在，但 zkEVM 的進展揭示了一個未來，即使是大規模的去中心化應用程序也可以通過智能合約保持私密性、低成本和完全信任——這些目標在幾年前似乎是不可想象的。

目前，早期的例子證明了這個概念的有效性。

明天等待著它們廣泛、用戶友好的現實。

如果您想了解有關區塊鏈技術支持的獨特計算用例的更多信息，請查看我們關于去中心化物理基礎設施網絡 (DePIN) 的文章。

熱點：智能合約 斯科特