Unleashing the Future of Blockchain Scaling: How ZK-Rollups are the Endgame – Insights from Polygon Miden Founder

Introducing Polygon Miden: Revolutionizing ZK-Rollups on Ethereum

Zero-knowledge (ZK) rollups have emerged as a game-changing solution for scaling Ethereum, and Polygon Miden is at the forefront of this innovation. Founded by Bobbin Threadbare, who gained recognition after Vitalik Buterin saw his work on Eth Research, Polygon Miden is making significant strides in the world of ZK-rollups.

What are ZK-Rollups?

ZK-rollups, also known as validity proof rollups, are a revolutionary approach to scaling Ethereum. Instead of performing computations on the Ethereum base layer, ZK-rollups process transactions off-chain and write a cryptographic proof back to the blockchain to verify the correctness of these transactions. This approach is faster, more efficient, and has the potential for virtually unlimited scaling.

The Journey of ZK-Rollups

ZK-rollups may seem like they appeared out of nowhere in late 2018, but from the perspective of Polygon Miden founder Bobbin Threadbare, progress may not seem fast enough. “Your internal perception is that it’s moving slowly,” says Threadbare. “People say, ‘We’re going to be doing this in a year,’ and it takes longer because people overestimate [how quickly it can be done].”

However, Threadbare acknowledges that the pace of technological development is remarkable. “If you take a step back out of your own bubble, I do think that the tech is moving at an amazing pace. A lot of the things we’re doing now did not exist 10 years ago – or even maybe like eight years ago – they were just theoretical concepts.”

Polygon Miden at StarkWare Sessions

Recently, Threadbare was interviewed at the StarkWare Sessions in Israel, which may seem like a Coca-Cola convention for the CEO of Pepsi, as Polygon Miden is a competing ZK-rollup solution to StarkWare’s technology. However, Threadbare emphasizes that on the technical side, there is a lot of collaboration among different projects. “We’re not building like Web2 walled gardens here,” he says. “We learn from each other more.”

Polygon’s Innovations in ZK-Rollups

Polygon, already known for its Ethereum scaling solution with its MATIC token becoming the eighth-most valuable cryptocurrency in the world, is now focusing on ZK-rollups. The Polygon team’s approach is to experiment with different ZK flavors and see what works best. Some of their projects include:

• zkEVM: This project has just launched on mainnet in beta and allows any Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible project to scale on Polygon’s new network.
• Zero: This project focuses on recursive scaling.
• Hermez 2.0: This EVM-compatible solution emphasizes decentralization and a proof-of-efficiency consensus.
• Nightfall: This project combines Optimistic Rollups with zero-knowledge cryptography.

Threadbare, who was recruited by Polygon while working at Facebook, acknowledges that Polygon’s approach of trying different technologies is a strategic move in the early stages of the space. “This strategy made sense to me; the space is very early,” he says. “I mean, in all honesty, they didn’t even require that I use STARKs, or SNARKs, or anything.”

STARKs and SNARKs are the two different types of ZK proof systems, and Threadbare is excited about the potential of STARKs in the context of Polygon Miden. He explains that STARKs require less trust in the setup process and are resistant to quantum computer attacks, which makes them a promising choice for building a scalable and secure ZK-rollup solution. Polygon Miden, similar to StarkNet, has its own virtual machine and programming language, which is a strategic move to enable faster and further scaling beyond Ethereum’s constraints. Threadbare acknowledges that it may make it more difficult for Ethereum projects to port over to Polygon Miden, but it also opens up possibilities for features like privacy and parallel processing that are not easily achievable on Ethereum’s main chain. When asked about his assessment of his competitor, StarkNet co-founder Eli Ben-Sasson speaks highly of Miden. “I think Miden is amazing,” says Ben-Sasson. “I have a lot of respect for all of those working within the framework of zero-knowledge proofs.” He recognizes the collaborative nature of the ZK-rollup space, where different projects learn from each other and build open-source technologies to push the boundaries of what is possible on the blockchain. Polygon’s MATIC has become the eighth-most valuable cryptocurrency in the world, thanks to its current Ethereum scaling solution. However, Polygon’s founders are forward-thinking and recognize the potential of ZK-rollups to revolutionize the scalability of blockchain networks. They have invested in acquiring ZK technology and hiring top talent like Threadbare to lead the development of Polygon Miden, their game-changing ZK-rollup project. Polygon’s approach, as Threadbare explains, is to throw a lot of ideas and technologies at the wall and see what sticks. Their zkEVM project has recently launched on the mainnet in beta, allowing any Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible project to scale on Polygon’s new network. Other ZK flavors at Polygon, including Zero for recursive scaling, Hermez 2.0 for decentralized EVM-compatible solution, and Nightfall for combining Optimistic Rollups with zero-knowledge cryptography, showcase the team’s commitment to exploring different avenues for scaling and innovation. Looking back at the rapid pace of development in the ZK-rollup space, Threadbare acknowledges that it may seem slow from an internal perspective, but he also highlights the incredible progress that has been made in a short period of time. “A lot of the things we’re doing now did not exist 10 years ago – or even maybe like eight years ago – they were just theoretical concepts,” says Threadbare. He emphasizes that ZK-rollups have evolved from pure theory to practical solutions with billions of dollars riding on them, and the pace of innovation continues to be impressive. In conclusion, Polygon Miden, led by Bobbin Threadbare, is an exciting ZK-rollup project that aims to revolutionize scalability on the Ethereum network. With a collaborative approach, open-source technologies, and strategic choices like using STARKs, Polygon Miden is pushing the boundaries of what is possible on the blockchain. Despite the challenges and the rapid pace of development, Threadbare and the Polygon team remain optimistic about the future of ZK-rollups and their potential to transform the blockchain landscape.