Ethereum Scaling Tool Polygon Launches its zkEVM Public Testnet (2024)

FAQs

Is Polygon zkEVM compatible with EVM? ›

As a result, Polygon zkEVM is fully equivalent to EVM, meaning that the vast majority of existing Ethereum tools, smart contracts, and wallets work seamlessly with the network. Here are some of the main benefits of Polygon zkEVM: Low Cost: Polygon zkEVM leverages zero-knowledge proofs to minimize transaction costs.

Polygon zkEVM is an exciting new development in the world of Ethereum-compatible blockchains. It combines two powerful technologies, zero-knowledge proofs (aka zk-proofs) and Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), to create a highly scalable and secure blockchain solution.

Polygon is a solution for Ethereum's scaling that provides high throughput and faster and more cost-effective transactions. It achieves this by using sidechains, which are interoperable with the Ethereum network.

Polygon zkEVM works by integrating ZKPs into the Ethereum virtual machine (EVM) environment on Polygon. These ZKPs are used with zk-rollups to allow for a large number of transactions to be processed off-chain, then bundled together and verified in a single batch on-chain. This method drastically increases throughput.

Polygon PoS relies on a set of validators that participate in the PoS consensus mechanism to validate and confirm transactions on the sidechain. Polygon zkEVM uses a Consensus Contract that supports permissionless participation of multiple coordinators (Sequencers and Aggregators) to produce and validate batches in L2.

Polygon PoS caters to high-volume use cases by providing a high-speed, low-cost EVM-compatible sidechain secured by PoS validators. In contrast, Polygon zkEVM prioritizes EVM equivalence, uncompromising security and interoperability by relying on validity proofs submitted to Ethereum.

Polygon zkEVM Beta harnesses the power of ZK proofs to reduce transaction cost and massively increase throughput, all while inheriting the security of Ethereum L1.

The Polygon platform operates using the Ethereum blockchain and connects Ethereum-based projects.

Unlike Ethereum, zkEVMs don't have to follow Ethereum's consensus protocol rules. However, all layer-2 transactions on a zkEVM are still verified on the underlying layer 1 through the use of validity proofs. This means zkEVMs can optimize for speed and transaction throughput without compromising security.

Is Polygon good for Ethereum? ›

Polygon is designed to enhance Ethereum's scalability, providing faster and cheaper transactions. Ethereum is exploring layer 2 solutions like Optimistic Rollups and zk-Rollups. Polygon is a layer 2 scaling solution for Ethereum, offering various scaling technologies, including PoS and sidechains.

Mechanism for transferring data from Polygon to Ethereum is a little different from doing the same for Ethereum to Polygon. The checkpoint transactions created by the Validators on the Ethereum chain are used for achieving this. Basically a transaction is initially created on Polygon.

As it stands, Arbitrum is the most popular Optimistic rollup solution, while Polygon is used for its ZK rollup network and greater functionality. Arbitrum has the largest share across DeFi, while Polygon is preferred by NFT projects.

A zkEVM, or zero-knowledge Ethereum virtual machine, is an advanced technological solution that supports zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) computations to enhance the Ethereum blockchain's scalability, security, and decentralization.

Polygon Labs, the developer behind the Polygon blockchain, released Thursday a "Type 1 prover," a new component allowing any network compatible with Ethereum's EVM standard to become a layer-2 network powered by zero-knowledge proofs, and to connect to Polygon's broader ecosystem.

Data Availability: On-Chain vs.

EVM relies on on-chain data storage, which can create bottlenecks as the Blockchain grows. zkEVM, on the other hand, embraces an off-chain data model. Most data processing happens off the Ethereum mainnet, ensuring enhanced scalability and efficiency.

EVM compatibility is a good stepping-stone in solving this issue, proven by some of the most used blockchains currently: Avalanche, Binance Smart Chain, Fantom Opera, and Polygon.

Polygon (formerly Matic Network) is a blockchain platform which aims to create a multi-chain blockchain system compatible with Ethereum. As with Ethereum, it uses a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism for processing transactions on-chain.

Therefore, EVM-compatible chains are blockchain networks that adhere to the same set of standards and protocols as the Ethereum blockchain. Being EVM compatible means that these blockchain networks can run Ethereum-based smart contracts and DApps without requiring significant modifications.