zkSync Launches New Proof System Boojum to Aid Faster Transactions
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Ethereum scaling solution zkSync has introduced a versatile “Boojum” technology capable of executing transactions rapidly without using expensive hardware to secure the network.
New Upgrade Will Offload Computational Workload & Enhance Scalability
In the early hours of July 17, Matter Labs, the main developer of the Layer 2 solution, zkSync, announced the launch of “Boojum.
This complements the zkSync Era sequencer, which can execute over 100 TPS.
Say hello to Boojum 👋: zkSync Era’s new high-performance proof system for radical decentralization. Boojum is an upgrade that will transition zkSync Era to a STARK-powered proof system, providing world-class performance on consumer-grade hardware.
💡 Learn more:… pic.twitter.com/1GrwJ5Y07A
— zkSync ∎ (@zksync) July 17, 2023
On March 2023, Matter Labs launched zkSync Era deployed on a SNARK-based system. Since the network went public, it has recorded significant traction.
These include 23,750,000 transactions executed over the past 30 days, 9,735 source-code verified smart contracts, and a $582 million total value locked.
After actively working behind the scenes on a cryptographic upgrade, the development team revealed that the zkSync Era will transition to a new STARK-based proof system called “Boojum.”
Before the advent of Boojum, zkSync Era was a state-of-the-art scaling solution for the burgeoning Ethereum blockchain. It was also among the few that utilized zero-knowledge (zk) rollups.
These rollups are divided into two — zk and optimistic. These two parts process transactions off the mainnet, roll them into small blocks, compress each block into a proof, and execute them on Ethereum.
The two rollups use a prover, a novel technology built to compress and package transactions.
The zkSync Era relied on the prover to leverage SNARKs proof to process over hundred transactions per second (TPS.)
Although the process removes network congestion from the Ethereum chain, it requires high computational power to generate proofs.
However, it should be noted only users with strong graphics processing unit (GPU) hardware devices can participate in these processes and secure the network.
According to the developers, the Boojum upgrade changes this narrative.
The new proof system upgrade will transition zkSync to a STARK-powered system that produces superior performance without high computational power.
The new proof system upgrade is deployed on a versatile Rust-based cryptographic library on the zkSync ecosystem that powers the prover’s Zero-Knowledge (ZK) circuits, ZK stacks, and other integral components.
New Era for Massive Prover Decentralization
The mission of zkSync is to exponentially advance personal freedom for users by making digital self-ownership universally accessible through its novel blockchain network.
The layer-2 scaling solution is trustless, permissionless, secure, affordable, resilient, limitless, hyper-scalable, and easy to use. This is similar to zkSync Credo.
These features will expand technological freedom to developers and provide creativity and innovations. This will ultimately lead to progress and prosperity in the digital space.
Boojum is designed to have several compelling properties such as the PLONK-style arithmetization, Powerful commitment scheme, Efficiency of “boring parts of the system,” ease of extension, and Single stack.
The PLONK-style arithmetization will transform general computation into a mathematical form to make ZK circuits simpler to write and easier to develop, audit, maintain and upgrade.
The powerful commitment scheme enables users to commit to a polynomial of bounded degree. The efficiency of the boring part of the system optimizes the GPU prover to be more efficient.
The ease of extension facilitates users to add custom gate types. This enables an efficient development process.
The single stack enables all listed components to be expressed with standard and idiomatic Rust.
The computationally powerful parts of the GPU provider are built in CUDA C++, but Bookum provides Rust bindings for composition.
Furthermore, the new upgrade can be operated with as little as 8 gigabytes of hardware compared to the other version, which required roughly 500 gigabytes on average.
Boojum’s ability to run on consumer-grade central processing units (CPUs) promotes accessibility, scalability, and inclusivity by enabling users with basic hardware to participate in the network.
At press time, the Boojum is currently live on the zkSync mainnet in an experimental phase.
