Vitalik Buterin assesses zkEVM’s impact on decentralisation and security

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin outlined possibilities for implementing EVM using zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP) on the mainnet without compromising decentralisation and security.

How will Ethereum’s multi-client philosophy interact with ZK-EVMs?https://t.co/MPpTPNhldR

— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) March 31, 2023

He believes the integration of zkEVM into the L1 blockchain is necessary and inevitable. Buterin noted that zkEVM already is functioning in a number of ZK-Rollups solutions second-layer (L2) or is undergoing a testing phase.

According to him, in the long term Ethereum will use the technology not only for rollup operations, but also for validation at the execution level. In this case the blockchain will effectively become a ‘clearing house’ for L2 protocols.

“Once this happens, zkEVM will de facto become the third type of Ethereum clients, as important to network security as the existing ones,” wrote Buterin.

He recalled that the network had originally adhered to a ‘multi-client philosophy’ in its development. Each Ethereum validator node uses two kinds of software — for the execution and the consensus layers. In neither segment does any single client type account for a two-thirds share, which underpins the network’s security.

Buterin outlined three implementation paths for zkEVM in Ethereum:

• a single solution (abandonment of multi-client architecture);
• a consensus-approved software set (a move away from the decentralisation paradigm);
• an open network for implementations of the solution by teams of different clients.

Buterin supported the latter option, though he acknowledged certain technological challenges. Nevertheless, in his view, the problems associated with the first two paths outweigh them—”at least for the moment”.

He expressed confidence that implementing the third option ‘won’t be too difficult’. At the same time, the co-founder of Ethereum acknowledged that the development could take years.

“For the open multi-client zkEVM ecosystem to work well, a lot of work will be required. But the really good news is that most of this work is already being done or will be done in any case,” said Buterin.

Back in December 2022, he identified ZK-Rollups technology as central to scaling Ethereum in the updated blockchain development roadmap.