- Polygon (POL) Labs has taken another leap forward in ZK technology.
- This feat promises the speed and decentralization benefits of ZK rollups.
- The team received praise and encouragement from Vitalik Buterin.
Over the years, zero-knowledge technology has been hailed as the “end game” for Ethereum scaling, but the technology’s complexity and computationally-intensive nature have so far prevented it from entering the mainstream. However, this may soon change due to the ongoing development efforts of our dedicated team.
In the latest example to highlight this push, the ZK team at Polygon (POL) Labs has now expanded ZK’s proven track record on consumer-grade hardware. This is a feat that promises to not only speed up ZK rollups but also enhance decentralization.
amazing milestone
Polygon (POL) Labs has taken another leap forward in ZK technology. On Wednesday, October 30, Polygon ZK developer Daniel Lubarov revealed that the team used Plonky3 proof technology to prove more than 2 million Poseidon2 hashes per second on a laptop, breaking the previous record of 1.7 million.
A hash is a digital identifier created when data is passed through a hash function. This is at the heart of the immutable nature of blockchain technology. Each block contains the hash of the previous block. This means that changing the data in one block requires changing all other blocks as well. Poseidon2 is a hash function optimized for zero-knowledge proof applications.
Polygon (POL) Labs highlights the increased efficiency of ZK proof technology by proving up to 2 million Poseidon2 hashes per second. This is an achievement made all the more impressive by the ability to do it using a laptop. For end users of ZK solutions and rollups based on Polygon technology, these efficiency gains translate into faster transactions, lower fees, and greater decentralization as more users can participate in network security by solely leveraging their personal computers. .
Not surprisingly, the Polygon (POL) Labs team received several accolades for this achievement, including from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin.
Polygon for the win?
“Okay, you guys won this game,” Vitalik declared in response to Polygon’s Lubarov’s announcement. According to Vitalik, Polygon’s processing of 2 million Poseidon hashes per second is equivalent to the Ethereum network’s theoretical maximum state size in a single slot. A slot is the time required to propose a block on the network, currently 12 seconds.
Vitalik also encouraged the team to achieve similar results using BLAKE3 and SHA-256. For context, BLAKE3 and SHA-256 are hash functions like Poseidon2, but are considered more thoroughly tested in terms of security. Specifically, SHA-256 is a hash function used to secure the Bitcoin network.
The latest Polygon (POL) achievement comes as the project integrates ZK technology into its long-term roadmap and reveals plans to support a ZK-based chain network on top of the Ethereum network.
On the flipside
- Polygon (POL) Labs Goes Beyond Optimization to Improve ZK Proofs on CPUs Special hardware is being developed. Further accelerate ZK proofs with Fabric Cryptography.
- Despite Polygon’s technical achievements, the network’s underlying asset, POL, continues to remain flat after months of sustained declines.
Why This Matters
Polygon (POL) Labs’ recent achievements highlight the rapid growth of ZK-proven technology and suggest it may be ready for mainstream adoption soon.
To learn more about Polygon (POL), read:
What’s stopping MATIC (Polygon) from hitting $1 after a reorganization?
Coinbase’s Base has taken an important step toward achieving key decentralization milestones set by Vitalik Buterin. Learn more:
How Coinbase’s Foundation Moved One Step Closer to Vitalik’s High Milestone