The landscape of blockchain scalability is evolving rapidly, and a major breakthrough has arrived. The Polygon zkEVM prover now supports a new Type 1 mode, enabling any existing Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) chain to transform into a Zero-Knowledge Layer 2 (ZK L2) and connect seamlessly to the AggLayer. This development marks a critical milestone, particularly for the planned upgrade of the Polygon Proof-of-Stake (PoS) chain to a ZK-secured network.
In Type 1 mode, the prover is already generating proofs for mainnet Ethereum blocks at an astonishingly low average cost—between $0.002 and $0.003 per transaction. This represents a performance that is over 36 times faster than any other existing Type 1 prover. With upcoming advancements like Plonky3 and continued zkEVM optimizations, these costs are projected to decrease by an additional 30 to 50 times within the next year.
This leap in performance paves the way for significantly lower expenses, reduced latency, and an overall enhanced user experience for all chains developed with Polygon Chain Development Kit (CDK), whether they are Type 1 or Type 2.
Developed through a collaborative effort between Polygon Labs and the external contributor Toposware, the Type 1 upgrade is being released under a permissive open-source license, making this powerful technology accessible to all.
What Is a Type 1 ZK-EVM Prover?
The concept of ZK-EVM types was originally proposed by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. This framework categorizes zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machines into types 1 through 4 based on their level of compatibility with Ethereum.
A Type 1 ZK-EVM offers the highest degree of compatibility. It can generate cryptographic proofs for existing EVM chains without requiring any modifications, migrations, or changes to their core structure. This means everything native to the EVM—including its storage layout and hash functions—is fully preserved.
Because it maintains all of Ethereum's execution logic, a chain using the Polygon zkEVM prover in Type 1 mode can utilize existing EVM clients exactly as they are. It can even generate verifiable proofs for historical Ethereum mainnet blocks. The performance benchmarks discussed later were achieved using real Ethereum block data.
Released under an open-source license, this Type 1 zkEVM prover serves as a public good, designed to benefit the entire Ethereum ecosystem by dramatically enhancing its scalability.
The Powerful Combo: Type 1 Prover and the AggLayer
Last month, Polygon Labs introduced a new vision for blockchain scaling through aggregation. This approach addresses the fragmentation issues inherent in both monolithic and modular scaling systems by enabling seamless access to shared state and liquidity across a multi-chain ecosystem.
The AggLayer is a decentralized protocol that will unify the entire Polygon ecosystem, allowing for smooth cross-chain interactions. From an end-user's perspective, the experience will feel like using a single, unified chain.
When combined with the AggLayer, the Type 1 prover enables a unique capability: It allows an existing EVM chain—along with all its users and total value locked (TVL)—to connect directly to the AggLayer without any modifications. This instantly bridges the chain to all the liquidity and value within the broader Ethereum ecosystem.
Several major projects, including Immutable zkEVM, Manta Network, and Canto, are already building with Polygon CDK with the intention of doing exactly this.
Enhancing the Polygon CDK Toolkit
This technical breakthrough is more than an impressive feat; it directly powers Polygon CDK, a modular, open-source toolkit for launching ZK-powered Layer 2 chains.
Developers using Polygon CDK now have a expanded set of customizable options, including:
- Choosing the Polygon zkEVM prover in either Type 1 or Type 2 mode.
- Selecting from multiple execution clients, such as the zkNode or cdk-erigon.
- Opting for rollup or validium security modes.
- Integrating various data availability solutions, including custom Data Availability Committees (DACs) or Celestia.
This flexibility allows projects to tailor their chain's architecture to their specific needs for security, cost, and compatibility.
Who Benefits From the Type 1 Prover?
Existing L1 Chains and Optimistic Rollups
For established EVM chains and optimistic rollups looking to migrate to a ZK-based security model, the Type 1 prover simplifies the process immensely. There is no need to reprove the entire chain history from genesis. Instead, the prover can immediately begin generating proofs from a chosen checkpoint, making the transition efficient and straightforward.
Developers Seeking a Best-in-Class zkEVM
For anyone aiming to build a new chain with top-tier performance, this technology can also operate in Type 2 mode. This offers even lower costs and latency while maintaining full bytecode compatibility with existing Ethereum applications, smart contracts, and developer tooling.
Performance and Cost Benchmarks
A key advantage of the Type 1 prover is its ability to scale horizontally across multiple standard computers. By doubling the number of physical machines on the network, the time required to generate a proof can be cut in half, all while maintaining the same total runtime cost. This allows prover operators to significantly reduce latency using affordable, commodity hardware without increasing expenses.
Recent benchmarks were established by generating proofs for actual Ethereum mainnet blocks using a single cloud server instance. The results demonstrate unprecedented cost-efficiency:
- Average per-transaction cost: As low as $0.0029.
- Total cost per block: Around $0.20 to $0.50.
- Comparative efficiency: The Polygon Type 1 prover is 10x more cost-efficient than a leading competitor when compared on equivalent terms. When comparing the most cost-effective setups available, the Polygon prover is 36x more cost-efficient.
These low costs make ZK-proof generation not just feasible, but economically practical for securing high-throughput blockchains.
The Road Ahead for ZK Technology
The teams at Polygon Zero and Toposware view the current release as just the beginning. Ongoing optimizations are expected to improve performance by an additional 35% in the coming weeks, aiming to make the prover 50 times cheaper than current competitors.
Later this year, the anticipated release of Plonky3—the successor to the highly performant Plonky2—is projected to bring another 10x improvement. Combined with continuous enhancements to the Type 1 prover itself, a 50x reduction in cost from today's benchmarks is well within reach.
This progress will enable countless chains to connect to the AggLayer and tap into the Ethereum ecosystem, including the massive Polygon PoS chain, which currently holds $3 billion in bridged assets and serves 700,000 daily active addresses.
The future of ZK technology is bright, and Polygon Labs continues to lead its development throughout 2024.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Type 1 ZK-EVM prover?
A Type 1 ZK-EVM prover is a zero-knowledge proof system that is fully equivalent to the Ethereum mainnet. It can generate proofs for any existing EVM chain without requiring changes to its code, offering the highest level of compatibility and allowing chains to become ZK-secured Layer 2s effortlessly.
How does the Type 1 prover benefit existing blockchain projects?
It allows existing EVM-compatible chains, including Layer 1s and optimistic rollups, to migrate to a zero-knowledge proof security model without a complex overhaul. They can start generating proofs from a recent checkpoint, connecting their existing user base and TVL directly to the aggregated liquidity of the Polygon and Ethereum ecosystems.
What makes this Type 1 prover different from others?
Its key differentiators are unparalleled cost efficiency and performance. It can prove mainnet Ethereum blocks for less than a cent per transaction and is designed to scale horizontally on standard CPU-based hardware, making it drastically more affordable and accessible than GPU-dependent alternatives.
How will future developments like Plonky3 improve this technology?
Plonky3 is the next-generation proving system expected to bring another order-of-magnitude improvement in speed and cost reduction. Its integration with the Type 1 prover could lower costs by an additional 10x, further solidifying ZK proofs as the most scalable and economical security solution for blockchains.
Can the Type 1 prover be used with other data availability solutions?
Yes, one of the strengths of the modular Polygon CDK is its flexibility. Chains built with the toolkit can pair the Type 1 prover with a variety of data availability options, including Ethereum, DACs, or third-party solutions like Celestia, allowing developers to choose the best fit for their security and cost requirements.
Is this technology open for developers to use?
Absolutely. The Type 1 prover has been released under a permissive open-source license (MIT/Apache 2.0), making it a public good that any developer or project can use, contribute to, and integrate into their own systems to advance Ethereum scaling.