As a professional translator, I translate the news article into English with a descriptive tone to ensure accuracy and coherence.
Due to the fact that the single-proof scheme cannot handle bugs hidden in complex zkEVM code, Vitalik proposed Multi-proofs as one of the important development directions for the future of Ethereum. Taiko is one of the few Layer2 projects built on Multi-proofs. On May 27th, Taiko went live on Ethereum mainnet, and in recent days, many mainstream exchanges have successively listed the project’s token, sparking continuous market discussions. So, what sets Taiko apart from other Layer2 solutions? What are the technological advantages and innovations behind Taiko?
What is Multi-Proving? How is Taiko different from other Layer2 solutions?
Taiko is a Type-1 zkEVM that provides the same opcodes and functionalities as Ethereum, ensuring a high degree of compatibility with the existing Ethereum ecosystem. One of the main differences between Taiko and other Rollups is that it opts for a Based Rollup mechanism, which does not rely on a centralized sequencer but instead relies on Ethereum validators to order transactions and blocks.
In late 2023, Taiko co-founder Daniel Wang introduced the concept of “Based Contestable Rollup (BCR),” which incorporates a Contestable mechanism. The Taiko team chose the Contestable design for three main reasons: First, Based Rollup does not require permission and must introduce “higher-level proofs” to address potential bugs in the software, avoiding the need for centralized networks to shut down for data correction. As the Taiko network operates over time, this correction mechanism can gradually be phased out. Second, although SGX proofs are thousands of times cheaper than zero-knowledge proofs, they are not the most ideal or decentralized form of verification. The Contestable design allows challenges to be raised when there are doubts about SGX proofs, requiring higher-level proofs to reverify blocks, reducing costs while increasing verification credibility. Lastly, Contestable Rollup offers flexibility and scalability, serving as an abstraction of zkRollup and Optimistic Rollup. For example, if zero-knowledge proofs become cheaper in the future, Contestable Rollup can be configured into a pure zkRollup, or tailored to be a pure Optimistic Rollup based on application needs, accommodating different verification requirements.
Many well-known VCs favor Taiko, what are the technological advantages?
In March of this year, Taiko completed a $15 million Series A financing round, with investors including Sequoia China, Generative Ventures, Hashed, Lightspeed Faction, Token Bay Capital, and Flow Traders. So, why are so many VCs bullish on Taiko? Previously, Vitalik believed that Ethereum would eventually move towards zkEVM. However, the single-proof solution for zkEVM cannot address the bug issue in complex zkEVM code. Vitalik believes that Multi-proofs, which generate multiple proof types for a single block, can ensure the system’s normal operation even if one proof type encounters a problem, promptly detecting any errors in state transitions. Taiko essentially puts Multi-proofs into practice and application, with its BCR framework involving Multi-proofs. Specifically, Taiko is divided into three main modules: Multi-Prover, Layer 2 Rollup, and Taiko Protocol.
The Multi-Prover utilizes various integrated proof systems such as zkVM and SGX to compile and run an Ethereum virtual machine based on Rust, generating zero-knowledge or TEE proofs to verify the accuracy and integrity of Ethereum block execution. The Layer 2 Rollup node is responsible for managing and executing transactions on Layer 2, while interacting with the Ethereum Layer 1 (L1). Through Layer 2 Rollup technology, Taiko can increase Ethereum’s transaction throughput, lower transaction costs, and maintain decentralization and security. The Taiko Protocol defines and enforces the rules of Layer 2 Rollup, ensuring transaction correctness and network security. Through smart contracts and decentralized validation, the Taiko Protocol achieves efficient scaling of Ethereum while maintaining its decentralization and security features.
In conclusion, the key innovation of the Taiko Protocol lies in the BCR framework (Based Contestable Rollup), built on Multi-proofs. The core of the BCR framework is “competition”: anyone can become a proposer, submit block proposals, and any validator who disputes the state transition results can submit security-level challenge proofs, changing the state of L2 blocks, and making a choice between correct and incorrect forks. Proposers need to package user transactions and generate zero-knowledge proofs, with multiple proposers able to compete to submit blocks. Validators are responsible for verifying the blocks and zero-knowledge proofs submitted by proposers, with multiple validators able to compete to verify blocks. This process not only ensures decentralization in the generation and submission process of each block but also further enhances network security.
Vitalik highly praised Taiko, and it is expected to pave the way for the final destination of Ethereum. Taiko started development in 2022 and during the testnet phase, it had over 1.1 million unique wallets, over 30,000 decentralized proposers, and over 14,000 decentralized validators. On May 27th, Taiko officially launched its mainnet. According to data from the Taiko official website, over 100 projects have already joined the Taiko ecosystem, including wallets, NFT markets, oracles, DeFi, AI applications, etc. In the recent period, the Taiko ecosystem has developed rapidly, attracting a batch of high-quality projects to join, including Pyth, Etherscan, Pancakeswap, Layer Zero, among others.
Overall, Taiko has many technological advantages, and although it is favored by many prominent figures, its short time since going live still needs to be validated by the market. In addition, there have been controversies in the community regarding the transparency of Taiko’s token economics, with some believing the rules are opaque. Taiko co-founder and CEO Daniel Wang responded in a Discord post, stating that transparency cannot resolve disagreements, as everyone has a strong subjectivity in defining “fairness,” and they do not aim to reach a consensus.
Looking at long-term development, the zkEVM ecosystem is lagging behind, with Op-series Layer2 solutions such as Arbitrum and Optimism taking the lead in ecosystem development. Optimism has established a strong ecosystem through Op Stack open sourcing, while Arbitrum has built a powerful ecosystem through L2 licensing construction. This is similar to how public chain technologies like Solana may be more advanced than Ethereum, but Ethereum’s development continues to surpass that of Solana. Currently, the zk-series lags behind in ecosystem development, while Op-series are making continuous efforts in innovation.
Expansion Reading:
Is Taiko’s airdrop being criticized for “lowering the threshold for Chinese projects” again?
Author: Bitpush Asher Zhang
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Original article link: https://www.bitpush.news/articles/6848183
Tags:
Arbitrum
Layer 2
Optimism
Taiko
zkEVM
Ethereum
(Note: This translation is for reference only and should not be considered investment advice.)