Vitalik Buterin, one of the co-founders of Ethereum, elaborated on the implementation of Goldwasser-Kahan-Rothblum (GKR) protocols within the Ethereum ecosystem. In his new article, he emphasizes how these protocols can significantly optimize the process of generating zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP), enhancing the efficiency and scalability of the network.
This is reported by Business • Media
What is the GKR Protocol and How Does It Work
The GKR concept was developed in 2008 by Shafi Goldwasser, Yael Tauman Kalai, and Guy Rothblum. Its essence lies in delegating complex computations to a server with the ability to verify the result without the need for a complete recount of each step. GKR breaks down complex computations into several sequential layers, each described by a polynomial. The validity is verified by analyzing individual points, which allows for the assurance of the correctness of the entire computational procedure, as all layers are interconnected.
Buterin notes that the application of GKR significantly accelerates the creation of zero-knowledge proofs, which will positively impact blockchain performance.
Advantages of Using GKR in Ethereum
In the article, Buterin highlighted that the integration of the GKR protocol is fundamental to a number of modern fast ZK-proof systems. This solution enables the division of complex computations into layers and verifies their integrity using short mathematical proofs, significantly reducing the load on the network. A key component of GKR is the mathematical method known as sumcheck, which allows for the verification of the sum of the values of a complex polynomial without separately computing each of them.
Buterin provided examples of GKR applications, including for the Poseidon2 function, which uses massive hashing, and in neural networks. According to him, the use of this concept can increase the efficiency of proof generation by 15 times, although this process remains more complex compared to conventional hashing.
“The implementation of GKR allows for the acceleration of proof generation for thousands of transactions simultaneously, reducing gas costs for users, and applying ZK-proofs in complex scenarios — from DeFi to verifying AI computations.”
Buterin emphasizes that GKR is not a new cryptographic method but rather an enhancement that improves the efficiency of existing solutions such as zk-SNARK and zk-STARK. At this current stage, he recommends using this approach to optimize systems that require proofs at every intermediate step.
Previously, Vitalik Buterin announced leanVM — a virtual machine specifically optimized for ZK-proofs, which he considers the next step in scaling Ethereum.