Verifiable computation (zkVMs) have the potential to revolutionize the blockchain sector by enabling off-chain processing of transactions, reducing on-chain work, and improving scalability.This article will discuss the potential uses of zkVMs in the blockchain sector, focusing on their applications in various systems and the benefits they offer.
Verifiable computation systems allow a weak client to outsource a computation to a powerful server, which returns the result of the computation along with a proof that the computation was done correctly. This approach has several benefits:
1.Reduced on-chain work: By processing transactions off-chain, the amount of work done on the blockchain is significantly reduced, leading to lower transaction costs and improved scalability.
2.Efficient state updates: Verifiable outsourcing of state updates can be done by updating the leaves of a Merkle tree, recomputing the resulting Merkle root, and proving the state update using a SNARK. This approach can be improved by using RSA-based accumulators for large batches of state updates, which can speed up proving time and/or reachable computation size.
Succinct proofs: The proofs generated by zkVMs are short and cheap to verify, making them ideal for blockchain environments.
Several blockchain systems have employed verifiable outsourcing techniques to process large numbers of transactions off-chain, reducing on-chain work and improving scalability. Some examples include:
Rollup: Rollup is a technique for batching cryptocurrency transactions off-chain to save on-chain work. It can be combined with zkVMs to further improve scalability and reduce transaction costs.
Coda: Coda is a blockchain system that uses verifiable outsourcing to process transactions off-chain, allowing for efficient state updates and improved scalability.
Matter: Matter is another blockchain system that employs verifiable outsourcing techniques to process transactions off-chain, reducing on-chain work and improving scalability.
Zexe: Zexe is a blockchain system that uses verifiable outsourcing to enable decentralized private computation, allowing for efficient state updates and improved scalability.
Despite the potential benefits of zkVMs, there are still challenges to overcome, such as the high cost of generating proving keys and the need for efficient implementations of zkSNARKs. However, recent advances in zkVMs, such as the use of RSA accumulators and the MultiSwap operation, have shown promise in improving proving time and reachable computation size. These techniques can be applied to various blockchain systems to further enhance scalability and reduce transaction costs.
In conclusion, zkVMs have the potential to revolutionize the blockchain sector by enabling efficient off-chain processing of transactions and improving scalability. By employing these techniques in various blockchain systems, it is possible to reduce on-chain work, lower transaction costs, and improve the overall performance of blockchain networks.
