Groundbreaking ZK Proving Technology
Earlier this year, Polygon Labs and Toposware developers announced a breakthrough in zero-knowledge (ZK) proving technology with the development of a Type 1 ZKEVM prover. This significant achievement marked a milestone for the industry, made possible by the expertise and contributions of Toposware, a leading blockchain research and engineering company.
The Acquisition: A Strategic Move Forward
Today, Polygon Labs has taken a major step forward by acquiring Toposware. This acquisition is set to propel the entire ZK community forward by integrating Toposware’s team with Polygon’s existing ZK development teams. Together, they aim to drive innovation across various technological fronts, including the AggLayer, Polygon CDK, Polygon zkEVM, and potentially upgrading Polygon PoS to a ZK validium, pending community approval. This collaboration brings together their collective ZK expertise to further advance Polygon’s capabilities.
Toposware’s Impact on ZK Technology
As leaders in ZK research, Toposware played a crucial role in developing the Type 1 prover. This high-performance upgrade, an open-source contribution to the Ethereum ecosystem, enables any EVM chain to become a ZK proof-based chain and connect to Ethereum. The Type 1 prover also offers better security guarantees and cost-effective proving for Ethereum, with an average per-transaction cost of just $0.0029 and a total cost of $0.534 to prove an Ethereum block.
Integration and Future Developments
The onboarding of Toposware will have significant downstream effects across all Polygon (MATIC) protocols. There is ongoing research, with community consensus, to connect the Polygon PoS network to the AggLayer in the coming months, which will eventually be upgraded to a ZK-secured chain. Toposware’s expertise will be pivotal in this process, ensuring seamless integration and enhanced security.
Leading the ZK Research and Development
Polygon Labs continues to lead in ZK research and development, transforming industry theories into reality. The adoption of Plonky3, an open-source technology used to build SP1, is advancing rapidly, with other ZK teams relying on Polygon Labs’ research for their development work. The acquisition of Toposware is expected to bring new insights and innovations to the entire ZK space.
Conclusion
Polygon Labs’ acquisition of Toposware represents a significant leap forward in the advancement of ZK technology. By integrating Toposware’s expertise and innovative solutions, Polygon Labs is poised to lead the next wave of ZK proving technology, benefiting the entire blockchain ecosystem. As the collaboration progresses, the crypto community eagerly anticipates the transformative impact of this strategic move.