Polygon releases its zkEVM solution, the ZK era is coming!

Polygon has publicly released its zkEVM solution in open-source this Monday, October 10. It is the first blockchain solution called ZK (Zero Knowledge) complete and whose code is available. Indeed, anyone can consult it, but you have to be a developer… But what is the ZK and what does Polygon’s solution bring? We explain you!

The importance of Zero Knowledge (ZK)

ZK is a concept in cryptography where one can prove a claim without giving proof. Blockchain infrastructures based on ZK allow for more scalability, a tenfold increase in on-chain computing power (transactions take place on the blockchain) and new use cases that do not yet exist! For example, PolygonID allows you to prove that you are of age without giving up your identity card data.

Is Polygon ahead of the curve in this hyper-innovative technology race?

Several very promising blockchains stand out, as they offer completely new technical solutions. Each project has its strengths and weaknesses because the chosen implementation is different. Polygon’s best-known competitors in this field are:

They should actually arrive on mainnet and launch their token in the next few months.

Polygon’s announcement is making a difference, as it is the first global solution ready with all the features. And on top of that, blockchain spirit obliges, they share all their research with the rest of the ecosystem!

Of course, the open-source coast will encourage curious developers to take a closer look and why not, make them contribute to the project.

This choice of transparency on the code is also a small attack on competitors. Yes, in order not to attract the wrath of the community, they will have to reveal their code, or risk getting “At Polygon at least everything is visible, eh?

zkEVM ?

We will dedicate a section to this term in a new column, but in the meantime, remember that EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) refers to the compatibility with the virtual machine of the Ethereum blockchain. The latter represents the widely dominant blockchain ecosystem and all the protocols mentioned above are derived from it.

Polygon announces today the release on the testnet (editor’s note: the network to check that everything is OK before the final production release).

As the developed solution is EVM compatible, all existing Ethereum smart-contracts can work as is! No need to reinvent the wheel for developers, just take it and apply it elsewhere! So adoption promises to be very fast.

The proof? Several dozen dApps (decentralized applications) are already deployed on this new network in less than 12 hours after the launch!

We will see in the coming months and years how current and future Zero Knowledge developments will create not only new use cases, but also much better on-chain performance. And superior performance means the ability to support the new users that are increasingly coming into the ecosystem.