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zkSync Era
In April 2021, the ZkSync team announced zkSync 2.0 and its zkPorter technology, which aims to improve upon v1 and introduce the first zkEVM (EVM-compatible). Beyond the composability benefits, it also aims to provide ~$0.01 transactions by moving transaction data off-chain (Validium-style) and offering 20,000 transactions per second (TPS). So far, as of 2023, it has deployed its "Baby Alpha" mainnet with the full mainnet launch expected in H1 2023. Since launching, the protocol has amassed $100 million+ in TVL, 40,000+ unique depositors, and has 100+ dApps looking to launch in the near future.
zkSync's emphasis on EVM compatibility is a crucial design decision, one that other ZK rollups, like current industry-leader Starkware, chose not to pursue. Beyond simply aiming for EVM compatibility, zkSync also looks to align itself more closely to Ethereum in other respects as well, including maintaining open-source libraries, pricing gas in ETH, and supporting Solidity.
The team has also prioritized security, conducting seven independent security audits, three internal audits, and two public security contests. zkSync also has an ongoing bug bounty program.
zkSync is compatible with the EVM at the language level. This means that zkVM compiles EVM languages, such as Solidity, into a VM that is compatible with SNARK. ZkSync achieves EVM compatibility by translating Solidity, the primary smart contract language on Ethereum, to Yul. Yul is an interim language that can be turned into bytecode for many virtual machines. The Yul code is then recompiled with the LLVM compiler framework into a proprietary, circuit-compatible set of zkEVM-specific bytecode.
This introduces a compiler risk into the protocol but also eliminates the need for validity proofs across the EVM execution steps, which should help when trying to decentralize the prover/protocol in the future. In terms of security, a bytecode-level zkEVM is the optimal solution but it comes with its own complexities and issues for developers. zkSync asserts that ~99% of L1 Solidity code may be deployed immediately to zkSync 2.0 without modification.
zkSync 2.0 supports EVM programming languages, such as Solidity, Yul, Vyper, Rust, and Zinc (2022). While Zinc is zkSync’s own specific “optimized” programming language, it isn’t required.
zkEVM Compiler. Source: Matter Labs
Another feature of zkSync’s zkEVM is the dynamic fee architecture. In an L2 rollup, the transaction cost is based on two values: (1) the computation cost required to complete the transaction and generate the validity proof, and (2) the amount of L1 gas required to finalize the transaction. zkSync 2.0 aims to give users more control over both aspects.
A significant portion of the overall transaction cost associated with rollups comes from part two: the data published to the L1 to ensure data availability. High congestion on the Mainnet will increase the rollup costs as well. However, zkSync 2.0 has added an option that restricts the amount of gas consumed per byte of calldata delivered to L1 to ensure the transaction won’t be conducted above a certain threshold. With this, transaction fees are predicted based on the anticipated system resources required and charged based on the actual system resources used.
Hyperchains: The Road to Infinite Scalability
Central to zkSync's expansion blueprint is the development of hyperchains. These structures represent the next-generation Layer 3 (L3) platforms, visualized as a vast ecosystem of interconnected, trustless blockchains. Intricately designed, they operate in parallel, functioning similarly to the zkEVM instances, and can be seamlessly launched by any entity.
Crafted using a modular methodology, zkSync equips developers with a hyperchain SDK—a toolkit facilitating the incorporation of various components or crafting personalized blockchain components. Ensuring consistency and trustworthiness across this vast landscape is the zkEVM engine, an integral cog, which mandates that every hyperchain is driven by this engine. This structure ensures that regardless of the entity deploying the hyperchain, the security roots trace back directly to the foundational Layer 1 (L1).
Basechain: The zkSync Era's Keystone
Drawing a parallel with the zkSync Era, the Basechain stands as the primary hyperchain instance. Its prowess isn't just confined to serving as the main computational hub for universal smart contracts but extends to act as a settlement touchpoint for all hyperchains, spanning even beyond L3.
zkSync's hyperchain architecture is meticulously designed to touch upon key performance indicators:
- Security: By eliminating vulnerabilities commonly linked to non-native bridges which are susceptible to security breaches, zkSync's L3 ensures robustness. It promotes interactions through native bridges, amplifying the security matrix.
- Performance: The introduction of hyperchain structures bolsters the L3's performance metrics.
- Cost-effectiveness: Through innovative data availability solutions, zkSync has managed to substantially curtail data fees.
- User-friendliness: Developers stand to benefit from an enriched SDK, inclusive of low-code and no-code utilities, simplifying the application creation process.
- Composability: Boasting support for a variety of modern programming languages, the LLVM compiler ensures developers fluent in Rust, C++, and Swift, among others, find a welcoming environment.
Further personalizing the user experience, zkSync offers nuanced data availability options. This flexibility empowers developers to pinpoint their preferred equilibrium between cost, efficacy, and security, choosing from options like ZK rollups, zkPorter, and Validium.
The Hyperscaling Proposition
In the world of blockchain, scaling denotes a network's capacity to process a multitude of transactions without wavering on security or decentralization fronts. While existing scaling frameworks are competent, they falter when considering the exponential demand surge anticipated with the Web3 evolution.
Enter hyperscaling—a paradigm shift aiming to recalibrate the well-established "blockchain trilemma", where networks are traditionally bound by choosing two out of three pillars: scalability, security, and decentralization. Hyperscaling intends to shatter this limitation.
Envisioned as a vast web of ZK chains operating in synchrony, these hyperchains process block proofs and settle them on the L1. Theoretically, there's no upper limit to the number of hyperchains that can be incorporated, effectively representing the entire network system.
This innovative concept draws inspiration from StarkWare's fractal scaling—an approach rooted in a multi-tiered network where L3s are recursively structured over an L2. Advancing this concept, zkSync introduces hyper-bridges, enabling transfers between hyperchains without straining a third-party chain. This ensures that the basechain remains free from becoming a scalability choke point, championing the ethos of unhindered hyperscalability.
In conclusion, the next phase of blockchain evolution, championed by entities like zkSync, is moving towards greater scalability without compromising on security and decentralization. For investors and users alike, this heralds a promising era marked by enhanced performance, reduced costs, and unparalleled security.
