The Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solution zkSync has completed "Milestone 3: Proof Merging", and released the zkSync end-to-end validator on the testnet. Through the integration validity proof, zkSync 2.0 was officially launched on the public testnet Running zkEVM and will demonstrate a fully operational ZK-rollup 11 days before mainnet launch, the final step before mainnet launch 11 days later. Here is the official text:
zkSync have successfully completed Milestone 3: Proof Merging. With the integration of validity proofs, zkSync 2.0 is now officially a fully working end-to-end zkEVM running on a public testnet.
zkEVMs were previously thought to be years away. With proof generation and verification now integrated into our public testnet we are demonstrating a fully functioning ZK-rollup ahead of our Mainnet launch in 11 days.
This is not only a major achievement for zkSync, but for the entire Ethereum community, made possible by the support of our ecosystem and the tireless dedication of our team. This is the final and necessary step before we launch on Mainnet in 11 days.
The launch of zkSync’s Layer 2 solution on Mainnet — a general purpose, EVM-compatible, ZK-rollup for the Ethereum blockchain — will be a long-awaited and critical improvement for Ethereum. zkSync’s Layer 2 solution will have the 5 Magic ingredients for scaling Ethereum:
General-Purpose ZK-rollup — to support general-purpose applications
EVM-Compatible — to enable easy porting
Solidity Support — to support the most common language for smart contract developers
Open Source — to protect the freedoms to view, change, or fork the code
Ethereum Ethos Compatible — to represent the values of the ecosystem with a decentralization model
Together, we’re moving ever closer to achieving zkSync’s mission to accelerate the mass adoption of crypto for personal sovereignty.
Proof Merging: Last Stop Before Mainnet
The completion of this milestone is what many development teams have been waiting for: public verification of the validity proofs generated by the rollup, and the last major piece for the Alpha version of the system.
zkSync shipped an integrated end-to-end prover that includes:
Proof generation
Aggregation
Verification on-chain
When it comes to scaling Ethereum, zkEVMs are largely seen as the endgame to overcome existing obstacles, but no one has ever deployed them in a public and live environment. We’ve had fully functional circuits in our development environment for some time, but this milestone will enable everyone on our testnet to experience our ZK Prover which is now fully operational with proof generation, aggregation, and verification on-chain happening on the public testnet.
These validity proofs were the last critical element for the Alpha version of the system. As users transact with zkSync 2.0, these proofs provide a guarantee of the correctness of program execution (and therefore the transition of the blockchain from state to state). The system publishes these proofs to our smart contract on Ethereum, which is able to verify the correctness of the proof.
Over the next 11 days, our team will perform significant testing for proof performance and verification to ensure that we are fully ready to launch on Mainnet on October 28th.
Looking Ahead
Security is our No. 1 priority as we roll out on Mainnet (Baby Alpha Milestone). Initially, zkSync’s launch on Mainnet will be without any external projects. This will allow us to conduct real-money stress tests and multiple security efforts to help verify the production system is working correctly and performing as expected. Developers will however be able to port and develop on testnet. During this phase, our team will offer our v1 of documentation and tutorials.
Fair Launch Alpha — Q4 2022: This will be the following step. Upon initial testing, we’ll conduct a fair launch onboarding process where developers may port to and develop on Mainnet (see the details on project registration and our commitment to a fair launch). The system will still be closed to external users. We’ll have additional security tests, offer v2 of docs, and more tutorials.
Full Alpha — End of year 2022: Once all security checks have passed, we’ll raise the gate and allow open access to the bridge for external users.
