In a groundbreaking development earlier this year, Polygon Labs and Toposware developers revealed a major breakthrough in zero-knowledge (ZK) proving technology with the creation of a Type 1 ZKEVM prover. This achievement was made possible by the expertise and contributions of Toposware, a prominent blockchain research and engineering company.
Taking a significant step forward, Polygon Labs has now acquired Toposware, a strategic move that is set to propel the entire ZK community to new heights. By integrating Toposware’s team with Polygon’s existing ZK development teams, this acquisition aims to drive innovation across various technological fronts, including the AggLayer, Polygon CDK, Polygon zkEVM, and potentially upgrading Polygon PoS to a ZK validium, pending community approval. The collaboration between these two entities will combine their collective ZK expertise to further enhance Polygon’s capabilities.
Toposware has played a crucial role in advancing ZK technology as leaders in ZK research. Their development of the Type 1 prover, which is an open-source contribution to the Ethereum ecosystem, allows any EVM chain to become a ZK proof-based chain and connect to Ethereum. This prover offers enhanced security guarantees and cost-effective proving for Ethereum, with an average per-transaction cost of only $0.0029 and a total cost of $0.534 to prove an Ethereum block.
The integration of Toposware into Polygon will have far-reaching effects on all Polygon (MATIC) protocols. Ongoing research, with community consensus, aims to connect the Polygon PoS network to the AggLayer in the coming months, eventually upgrading it to a ZK-secured chain. Toposware’s expertise will be instrumental in ensuring a seamless integration process and enhanced security.
Polygon Labs continues to lead the way in ZK research and development, turning industry theories into tangible solutions. The adoption of Plonky3, an open-source technology used to build SP1, is progressing rapidly, with other ZK teams relying on Polygon Labs’ research for their own development efforts. The acquisition of Toposware is expected to bring fresh insights and innovations to the entire ZK space.
In conclusion, Polygon Labs’ acquisition of Toposware represents a significant leap forward in advancing ZK technology. By leveraging Toposware’s expertise and innovative solutions, Polygon Labs is positioned to spearhead the next wave of ZK proving technology, benefiting the entire blockchain ecosystem. The crypto community eagerly awaits the transformative impact of this strategic move.
