Scroll Co-founder Achieves Over 1 Million ZK Proof Operations Per Second on CPU

Nico W. (ncitron.eth), a co-founder of the prominent zero-knowledge (ZK) rollup project Scroll, recently announced a significant technical breakthrough, achieving a rate of over 1 MHz in ZK proof generation using only a CPU. The announcement, made via his social media, highlights a major optimization in the computationally intensive process of creating cryptographic proofs essential for ZK-EVMs.

"Over 1 MHz on CPU only," Nico W. stated in the tweet, signaling a remarkable leap in efficiency for Scroll's ZK-EVM architecture. This milestone translates to more than one million operations per second for specific components of their ZK proof system, performed without relying on specialized hardware like GPUs.

This achievement underscores Scroll's commitment to enhancing the performance and accessibility of its ZK-EVM, a crucial Layer 2 scaling solution for the Ethereum blockchain. Optimizing CPU-only proof generation is vital for reducing the computational resources and, consequently, the costs associated with verifying transactions on the network. Such advancements contribute directly to making blockchain interactions faster and more affordable for users.

The ability to generate ZK proofs efficiently on standard CPUs broadens the reach of ZK technology, potentially allowing for more decentralized and cost-effective proof generation. This development is particularly impactful for the broader zero-knowledge ecosystem, pushing the boundaries of what is achievable in terms of scalability and throughput for blockchain networks.

Following this significant optimization, Nico W. alluded to future ambitions, concluding his tweet with, "Next stop - Valhalla." While specific details remain under wraps, "Valhalla" is understood to be an internal codename within Scroll, representing an upcoming, even more ambitious milestone or phase in the development of their ZK-EVM. This suggests continued innovation aimed at further solidifying Scroll's position in the competitive landscape of Ethereum scaling solutions.