As the debates on Ethereum scaling are in full swing, Vitalik Buterin has just published a new tutorial on the GKR protocol (Goldwasser–Kalai–Rothblum), and it's no small feat.
Specifically, the GKR is a method for verifying cryptographic proofs that operates in logarithmic time, without the need for costly intermediate commits. Translation: proofs are done faster and cheaper than current ZK-SNARK or STARK.
Why does it matter? The protocol can handle large batches of computations (hashes, neural networks, etc.) without on-chain overhead. Even though the GKR is not zero-knowledge on its own, it can be wrapped in ZK-SNARK/STARK layers to maintain privacy.
It is aligned with Vitalik's “Lean Ethereum” vision: a lighter, faster chain that is resistant to quantum attacks. With more efficient rollups and accelerated finalization at stake.
Developers will be able to seriously experiment with GKR-based systems in the coming months. We are likely to see concrete optimizations on the rollups and scalability front.
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Vitalik drops a ZK bomb: the GKR protocol to accelerate Ethereum
As the debates on Ethereum scaling are in full swing, Vitalik Buterin has just published a new tutorial on the GKR protocol (Goldwasser–Kalai–Rothblum), and it's no small feat.
Specifically, the GKR is a method for verifying cryptographic proofs that operates in logarithmic time, without the need for costly intermediate commits. Translation: proofs are done faster and cheaper than current ZK-SNARK or STARK.
Why does it matter? The protocol can handle large batches of computations (hashes, neural networks, etc.) without on-chain overhead. Even though the GKR is not zero-knowledge on its own, it can be wrapped in ZK-SNARK/STARK layers to maintain privacy.
It is aligned with Vitalik's “Lean Ethereum” vision: a lighter, faster chain that is resistant to quantum attacks. With more efficient rollups and accelerated finalization at stake.
Developers will be able to seriously experiment with GKR-based systems in the coming months. We are likely to see concrete optimizations on the rollups and scalability front.