February was an eventful month for ZKM, with key research developments, in-depth discussions on zkVMs, and the first internal testing of zkMIPS+ - a significant step in our work toward high-performance zero-knowledge execution. At the recent ETHDenver event, we engaged in deep technical panels, explored our role in ETHProofs, and discussed our latest research in zkVM optimization.
This update provides an overview of our most recent advancements, technical discussions, and ongoing research efforts.
February saw the first internal testing of zkMIPS+, ZKM’s next-generation zkVM. Early results indicate substantial improvements in proving performance, optimized for both Bitcoin and Ethereum scalability.
Stephen Duan, ZKM’s Developer Lead, shared the first public insight on X:
“Just started internal testing of our new zkMIPS (zkMIPS⁺) and we have exceeded expectations. Can't wait to discuss this more at ETHDenver.”
The upcoming phase will focus on benchmarking, optimizing recursive proof composition, and further refining zkMIPS+ for its specialist Entangled Rollup and BitVM applications.
At ETHDenver 2025, ZKM played an active role in the ongoing industry discourse on the state of zkVMs and the future of ZK. We participated in multiple panels discussing execution models, recursive proof efficiency, and cross-chain proving systems, and much more.
The session recordings will soon be available on YouTube, and for more information about our events, visit ZKM Events.
With increasing interest in Bitcoin programmability due to ZKM’s integration with GOAT Network, ZKM participated in technical discussions on how zkVMs can extend Bitcoin’s execution capabilities without compromising its base-layer design.
As zkMIPS+ progresses, it is expected to be the most performant zkVM for Bitcoin-native verification frameworks.
ZKM’s research efforts continued to focus on improving proof efficiency, optimizing zkSNARK construction, and analyzing cryptographic protocols. This month, we published:
📌 Deep FRI Protocol – A study on reducing proof size and optimizing polynomial folding for recursive SNARKs. Read more
📌 Plonky2 Analysis – A technical breakdown of Plonky2’s zkSNARK model, focusing on preprocessing, polynomial commitments, and permutation checks. Full article
📌 Logup Protocol & Lookup Arguments – Research into improving lookup argument efficiency for proving systems. Technical breakdown
Ongoing research includes performance benchmarking of zkMIPS+, further optimizations in polynomial commitment schemes, and recursive proof aggregation models.
ZKM’s Alice Liu participated in recent discussions extended beyond software optimizations to include hardware acceleration for ZK proving systems. House of ZK Radio featured:
🎙 Eli Ben-Sasson (CEO, StarkWare) – Discussing OP_CAT, StarkNet scalability, and Bitcoin settlement.
🎧 Spotify | 📺 YouTube
🎙 Niall Emmart (Snarkify, ex-Nvidia) – A deep dive into GPU acceleration for zk-SNARK verification and recursive proving.
🎧 Spotify | 📺 YouTube
As proving systems evolve, research into specialized hardware optimizations for proof generation will continue to be a priority.
ZKM remains focused on building the most performant and scalable zero-knowledge execution system. After showcasing our recent progress at a very busy ETHDenver, it’s now back to ‘heads-down and build’.
Stay connected:
💻 Website: zkm.io
📢 Twitter: @ProjectZKM
💬 Discord: discord.gg/zkm
As we progress further into 2025, expect deeper dives into zkMIPS+, proof aggregation, and performance benchmarks. See you in next month’s update.
February was an eventful month for ZKM, with key research developments, in-depth discussions on zkVMs, and the first internal testing of zkMIPS+ - a significant step in our work toward high-performance zero-knowledge execution. At the recent ETHDenver event, we engaged in deep technical panels, explored our role in ETHProofs, and discussed our latest research in zkVM optimization.
This update provides an overview of our most recent advancements, technical discussions, and ongoing research efforts.
February saw the first internal testing of zkMIPS+, ZKM’s next-generation zkVM. Early results indicate substantial improvements in proving performance, optimized for both Bitcoin and Ethereum scalability.
Stephen Duan, ZKM’s Developer Lead, shared the first public insight on X:
“Just started internal testing of our new zkMIPS (zkMIPS⁺) and we have exceeded expectations. Can't wait to discuss this more at ETHDenver.”
The upcoming phase will focus on benchmarking, optimizing recursive proof composition, and further refining zkMIPS+ for its specialist Entangled Rollup and BitVM applications.
At ETHDenver 2025, ZKM played an active role in the ongoing industry discourse on the state of zkVMs and the future of ZK. We participated in multiple panels discussing execution models, recursive proof efficiency, and cross-chain proving systems, and much more.
The session recordings will soon be available on YouTube, and for more information about our events, visit ZKM Events.
With increasing interest in Bitcoin programmability due to ZKM’s integration with GOAT Network, ZKM participated in technical discussions on how zkVMs can extend Bitcoin’s execution capabilities without compromising its base-layer design.
As zkMIPS+ progresses, it is expected to be the most performant zkVM for Bitcoin-native verification frameworks.
ZKM’s research efforts continued to focus on improving proof efficiency, optimizing zkSNARK construction, and analyzing cryptographic protocols. This month, we published:
📌 Deep FRI Protocol – A study on reducing proof size and optimizing polynomial folding for recursive SNARKs. Read more
📌 Plonky2 Analysis – A technical breakdown of Plonky2’s zkSNARK model, focusing on preprocessing, polynomial commitments, and permutation checks. Full article
📌 Logup Protocol & Lookup Arguments – Research into improving lookup argument efficiency for proving systems. Technical breakdown
Ongoing research includes performance benchmarking of zkMIPS+, further optimizations in polynomial commitment schemes, and recursive proof aggregation models.
ZKM’s Alice Liu participated in recent discussions extended beyond software optimizations to include hardware acceleration for ZK proving systems. House of ZK Radio featured:
🎙 Eli Ben-Sasson (CEO, StarkWare) – Discussing OP_CAT, StarkNet scalability, and Bitcoin settlement.
🎧 Spotify | 📺 YouTube
🎙 Niall Emmart (Snarkify, ex-Nvidia) – A deep dive into GPU acceleration for zk-SNARK verification and recursive proving.
🎧 Spotify | 📺 YouTube
As proving systems evolve, research into specialized hardware optimizations for proof generation will continue to be a priority.
ZKM remains focused on building the most performant and scalable zero-knowledge execution system. After showcasing our recent progress at a very busy ETHDenver, it’s now back to ‘heads-down and build’.
Stay connected:
💻 Website: zkm.io
📢 Twitter: @ProjectZKM
💬 Discord: discord.gg/zkm
As we progress further into 2025, expect deeper dives into zkMIPS+, proof aggregation, and performance benchmarks. See you in next month’s update.