Ethereum Bets Big on zkVMs: Formal Verification and Cryptanalysis in Focus

• Ethereum Foundation is investing tens of millions in zkVMs.
• The Foundation invites contributors to zkVMs development.
• Massive investment highlights the Ethereum Foundation’s commitment to zkVMs.

Renowned Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake has said that the Ethereum Foundation is investing tens of millions of dollars into Zero Knowledge Virtual Machines (zkVMs). In a recent post on X, Drake identified three protocols—zkRISC-V formal verification, Poseidon cryptanalysis, and L2beat for zkVMs—as the current focus of the Ethereum Foundation.

Ethereum Foundation’s zkVM Initiatives

In the meantime, Drake invited those who are willing to contribute to zkVM public goods to reach out to him, highlighting the Ethereum Foundation’s targets and goals for the various zkVMs. For example, the zkEVM formal verification project focuses on accelerating the application of formal verification methods to zkEVMs.

Further details by the Ethereum Foundation show that the formal verification project aims to achieve the highest assurance level for zkEVMs. The Foundation plans to feature several grants and bounties for those contributing to the project within the next 18-24 months of its development.

Meanwhile, the Ethereum Foundation is exploring the Poseidon Cryptanalysis candidate for using Ethereum L1 for various protocols that employ ZK proofs. The Ethereum protocol uses the Poseidon hash function in numerous applications that involve verifiable computation. The Foundation rates it among the top performers at recent STARK benchmarks by StarkNet.

Read also: Plonky3 Achieves 2 Million Hashes Per Second, Vitalik Buterin Impressed

ETH Proofs Protocol Still Inactive

While the Ethereum Foundation has the Formal Verification and Poseidon Cryptanalysis projects running, the ETH Proofs protocol is not yet active. However, Drake is seeking interested developers who are willing to contribute to the project. Some respondents to Drake’s request have suggested that he reach out to experts with proven track records instead of waiting for volunteers.

This investment confirms the Ethereum Foundation’s commitment to enhancing the Ethereum ecosystem’s scalability and security. Blockchain analysts expect zkVMs to play crucial roles in improving transaction efficiency and privacy on the Ethereum network, ensuring the reliability and correctness of the virtual machines.