Starknet, a scaling solution for Ethereum, is making progress towards full Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility with the upcoming launch of Kakarot, a new zkEVM, on a testnet in August. The Kakarot team recently announced that they have received backing from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, Ledger co-founder Nicholas Bacca, and Starkware.
Currently, Starknet is a leading Zero Knowledge roll-up in the Ethereum ecosystem but is not EVM compatible. This creates a barrier to entry for developers who are used to working with the EVM. Starknet uses its own native language, Cairo, which makes it easier and faster to develop, review, and maintain new code. However, the lack of EVM compatibility may discourage some developers from adopting Starknet.
The goal of Kakarot is to make Starknet EVM compatible. Kakarot serves as an engine, similar to Solidity or any other language engine, that can be integrated into Starknet to make it EVM compatible. Currently, Starknet runs its own custom smart contract Virtual Machine called Cairo VM, which leverages the Cairo language. This lack of direct EVM compatibility presents a significant obstacle for overall rollup performance.
There are developers who have written decentralized exchanges (DEXs) or automated market makers (AMMs) for the Ethereum ecosystem using Solidity, and they have a large amount of audited code ready to be deployed on EVM chains. However, if they want to use Starknet, they would need to hire a new development team, rewrite and audit the code, and maintain two separate code bases, which is prohibitively expensive.
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The idea for zkEVM was first discussed during a Starkware conference in July 2022. In October of the same year, the development team came together during a hacker house event in Lisbon, Portugal, to start working on the zkEVM. In just over two months, the coding for the project was completed, resulting in a fully functional execution layer. Notably, Vitalik Buterin later invested in Kakarot due to his enthusiasm for a multiple-zkEVM approach to building the Ethereum ecosystem.
The testnet version of Kakarot is set to be launched for public use in August. This will allow developers to explore and test the capabilities of the zkEVM and its compatibility with Starknet. The integration of Kakarot’s EVM compatibility will make it easier for developers to transition their existing Solidity code and projects to Starknet without the need for extensive modifications.
Overall, the development of Kakarot and its integration with Starknet brings the Ethereum ecosystem one step closer to achieving seamless scalability and interoperability. By providing EVM compatibility, Starknet will be more accessible to developers, allowing them to leverage its scaling capabilities while preserving their existing code and investments. With the support of influential figures like Vitalik Buterin, Kakarot and Starknet are poised to play a significant role in the future growth and adoption of Ethereum.
