Introduction
The engineering team at Polygon Labs has proposed a significant upgrade for Polygon PoS, aiming to transform it into a zkEVM validium, which would be a decentralized Layer 2 (L2) solution secured by zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs. This proposal is a crucial step towards Polygon 2.0, the vision for unlimited scalability and unified liquidity powered by ZK technology.
Polygon Labs has been at the forefront of ZK technology advancements, having released the industry's fastest ZK proving system and launched the only EVM-equivalent zkEVM on the mainnet. The proposal aims to add zkEVM technology to Polygon PoS, a highly successful chain with over $2 billion in on-chain assets, numerous decentralized applications (dApps), and an average of 2.5 million transactions daily.
The upgrade to zkEVM validium is a major achievement, as it marks the first time an existing chain of this size incorporates ZK proofs to become an L2 solution. This upgrade brings enhanced security, improved performance, and seamless interoperability with the Polygon 2.0 ecosystem.
Polygon 2.0: A ZK-Powered Future
Polygon 2.0 envisions that every Polygon chain should be a ZK L2, and while Polygon PoS currently relies on its own validators for security, this proposal ensures it remains a vital part of the ecosystem. Many users and developers prefer Polygon PoS due to its robust ecosystem, network effects, and significantly lower fees compared to Ethereum rollups. By integrating ZK technology, Polygon PoS can leverage bleeding-edge advancements while retaining user and developer experiences.
zkEVM Validium: Low Fees, High Security and Scalability
The zkEVM validium offers lower fees and higher scalability compared to rollups. While rollups utilize Ethereum to publish transaction data and verify proofs, validiums provide similar security guarantees by storing transaction data off-chain.
This results in reduced fees as they do not consume expensive Ethereum gas and increased scalability as they are not bound by Ethereum's blockspace limitations.
The main cost of running Polygon PoS as a zkEVM validium would be the generation of proofs. However, Polygon Labs' ZK teams have made significant progress in reducing these costs, with the current cost to prove a 10 million gas batch on Polygon zkEVM being as low as $0.0259.
Data availability outside of Ethereum is crucial for validiums. Fortunately, Polygon PoS already boasts a decentralized validator set of over 100 validators with a stake of approximately $2 billion, providing a highly secure and reliable guarantee of data availability.
What Does This Mean for Users and Devs?
For users and developers, the proposed upgrade will not change their experience on the Polygon PoS network. Users will continue to benefit from low-cost transactions, while developers will not need to make any adjustments to their smart contracts. The upgrade will primarily require node operators and validators to upgrade to the latest version of the Polygon PoS client software.
Validators and $MATIC Utility
Existing Polygon PoS validators will play essential roles in guaranteeing data availability and sequencing transactions. They will continue attesting to data availability, making Polygon PoS the first validium with decentralized and secure data availability guarantees. Validators will also operate the chain by determining which transactions to include in blocks and in what order, ensuring decentralization and allowing transaction fees to flow to validators staking $MATIC tokens. This will make Polygon PoS the first L2 with a decentralized sequencer set.
zkEVM and PoS
The proposal suggests that both Polygon PoS and Polygon zkEVM rollup can coexist and complement each other in the ecosystem. Polygon zkEVM rollup provides the highest level of security, making it suitable for applications that prioritize security, such as high-value DeFi applications. On the other hand, the upgraded Polygon PoS as a zkEVM validium would offer high scalability and low fees, making it a good fit for applications with high transaction volumes and the need for low transaction fees, such as Web3 gaming and social and micro DeFi.
Conclusion
In summary, the vision for Polygon 2.0 aims to establish Polygon as the Value Layer of the Internet, enabling the creation, exchange, and programming of value. The proposed upgrade of Polygon PoS to zkEVM validium would be a significant step towards realizing this vision by allowing the migration of all Polygon PoS users, assets, and state to the Polygon 2.0 ecosystem.
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