The zkSync Era team has announced that the Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solution will be transitioning to a new proof system called Boojum in order to improve efficiency on consumer-grade general processing units (GPUs).
According to the team, the Boojum proof system is based on the Scalable Transparent Argument of Knowledge (STARK), and it promises notable improvements in capacity, speed, and fee reduction.
As one of the few Ethereum scaling protocols utilizing zero-knowledge rollups (zk-rollups), zkSync Era combines two well-known proof systems: Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge (zk-SNARKs) and zero-knowledge STARKs. This unique combination allows zkSync Era to handle a greater number of transactions effectively by grouping them together and processing them more efficiently.
Boojum, the new underlying proof system of zkSync Era, is a Rust-based cryptography library specially designed for the protocol. It introduces an enhanced version of arithmetic circuits that caters to the specific requirements of the zkSync Era.
A notable advantage of the Boojum-proof system is its ability to operate on standard personal computers. It eliminates the need for specialized hardware and servers for Boojum provers. This means that regular users can actively participate in network activities using machines equipped with just 16 gigabytes (GB) of GPU random-access memory (RAM), compared to the current zkSync cluster’s reliance on 100 GPUs with 80 GB of RAM each.
zkSync Era previously operated on the zk-SNARKs proof system, but it lacked the transparency required by the zk-STARK-based system. The former system was limited to processing approximately 100 transactions per second.
During the implementation process, the new proof system will incorporate STARK proofs wrapped with a non-transparent pairing-based SNARK. This improvement reduces storage requirements and verification costs associated with the proof system and transactions.
Currently, Boojum operates on the mainnet of zkSync Era for testing purposes, generating and validating “shadow proofs.” Real production data is being analyzed to assess the effectiveness of these shadow proofs. Importantly, the update to the new system will occur without requiring a complete restart and thus, eliminating the need for regenesis.
According to the announcement, the name “Boojum” draws inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s poem “The Hunting of the Snark,” where the Boojum represents the most feared type of Snark.
The introduction of the Boojum proof system signifies zkSync Era’s commitment to providing a more scalable and efficient Ethereum scaling solution. By empowering regular users to actively participate in network activities while reducing costs and improving transaction speeds, zkSync Era aims to contribute to the growth and adoption of the Ethereum ecosystem.
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