StarkWare's Quantum Leap upgrade has been rolled out on a testnet, and the ethereum layer 2 scaling protocol claims it can handle "hundreds of transactions per second." The upgrade, referred to as version 12, harmonizes the interaction between the sequencer code and the Cairo programming language, potentially increasing throughput by at least 50 times compared to the current level. The protocol aims to confirm on-chain transactions within seconds, with a merge time of "within 15 seconds" after mainnet launch.
Co-founder Uri Kolodny expressed caution during an interview, stating that the upgrade had reached "triple digits" in terms of throughput during testing. If the real-world usage reflects this level of throughput, it would be a significant advancement for StarkWare's decentralized scaling network. Currently, Starknet processes only 1.79 transactions per second (TPS), so the upgrade could accelerate transactions by a factor of 56 or more, surpassing other Ethereum layer 2 solutions and even Ethereum itself in terms of TPS.
However, it's important to consider that capacity doesn't guarantee usage, and the protocol will not operate at 100 TPS if there isn't sufficient user demand on Starknet. Kolodny emphasized that raw TPS isn't the best measure of performance, as executing complex transactions is more challenging than simple ones. The upgrade enables complex transactions to make multiple calls, executing separate logic from different contracts, and it has observed at least a 50-fold increase in steps per second compared to the current state.
While the Quantum Leap upgrade addresses certain scaling challenges, it doesn't fully resolve the data availability issues faced by zk-Rollups. The limitation arises from insufficient space on Ethereum to accommodate all the data required for layer 2 transactions, leading to higher costs. Kolodny stated that the version 13 Volition upgrade, expected to be finalized by the end of the quarter, will address this issue. It will offer users granular control over data storage, enabling them to store critical or high-value data on Ethereum while keeping less critical data elsewhere. This could significantly reduce fees by 85% and facilitate low-fee micropayments or fast blockchain gaming.
The Quantum Leap upgrade incorporates Cairo-rs, developed by venture capital studio LambdaClass. It is a faster implementation of the Cairo virtual machine using Rust instead of Python. Founder Federico Carrone sees this release as a groundbreaking moment for blockchain, demonstrating the s calability of blockchains in a secure manner and enabling the creation of new applications that were previously unimaginable. StarkWare's proof-of-validity ZK scaling technology has already facilitated over $1 trillion in transactions, as announced on June 29.
