Shipping an L1 zkEVM #1: Realtime Proving

The Ethereum Foundation is charting a bold course toward a native Layer 1 zkEVM, redefining validation through ZK proofs rather than traditional re-execution. This foundational change could transform Ethereum into the largest Zero-Knowledge application in existence.

Technical Vision

Validators will verify multiple off-chain zkVM proofs per block instead of re-running transactions.
Promises higher scalability, elevated gas limits, and dramatically enhanced efficiency.

Ethereum's "realtime proving" initiative is designed to allow individuals, or "solo stakers," to generate and verify ZK proofs from their own hardware setups at home. This means instead of needing high-powered cloud services or enterprise-grade servers to handle complex verification tasks, people can run these processes on affordable machines with strict power and budget constraints. As a result, the cloud providers who've traditionally dominated validation workflows might see declining relevance in favor of decentralized, user-controlled verification.