RISC Zero Unveils General-Purpose Virtual Machine Based on ZKP

The startup RISC Zero, which is developing a virtual machine based on zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) technology, has unveiled the first version of its solution.

congrats to the @RiscZero team for launching the first general purpose production zkVM ?

Its high performance will be a key piece of Eclipse’s succinct zk fraud proofs that allow for shorter withdrawal times than other optimistic chains https://t.co/azKe3fqVGP

— Eclipse ? (@EclipseFND) June 17, 2024

For the launch of zkVM 1.0, RISC Zero conducted a trusted setup ceremony and underwent a rigorous third-party audit, according to the project’s announcement.

The solution supports interaction with dapps on any blockchain where the RISC Zero verifier is integrated. This means applications can operate across various chains, including Ethereum, Base, OP, Arbitrum, World Chain, and StarkNet.

The platform employs ZKP to facilitate the creation of dapps across different networks. Its features include a cost-effective proof process and enhanced performance metrics, according to the press release.

zkVM 1.0 can generate ZKP for any dapp written in Rust. This allows for the development of complex logic without the usual constraints related to gas volume or cost.

ZKP enables computation compression and rapid validation without requiring the verifier to perform the operations themselves. This significantly reduces resource demands.

This mechanism is crucial for enhancing scalability, as it simplifies the execution of complex operations off-chain while maintaining on-chain verification.

This includes potential use cases in L2 solutions, cross-chain bridges, and other areas where efficient and verifiable computations are critical.

Unlike zkEVMs, which are specifically designed for the Ethereum Virtual Machine, zkVMs are virtual machines applying ZKP for dapps on any blockchain where the RISC Zero verifier is integrated.

Back in July 2023, RISC Zero raised $40 million in a Series A funding round.

In the summer of 2024, StarkWare, the company behind StarkNet, announced plans to make the L2 network a unified scaling layer for the first cryptocurrency alongside Ethereum.