Zero-knowledge (ZK) proof solutions have been crucial in scaling the Ethereum ecosystem, but the introduction of proto-danksharding is expected to significantly reduce the cost of rollups. According to Nicolas Liochon, head of Consensys’ zkEVM Linea, proto-danksharding could potentially decrease rollup costs by tenfold. In an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph Magazine, Liochon discussed the impact of this development during Korea Blockchain Week.
Proto-danksharding, also known as Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) identifier EIP-4844, aims to lower the cost of rollups, which involve batching transactions and data off-chain and providing computational proof to the Ethereum blockchain. While the Ethereum Foundation has not announced a specific launch date for proto-danksharding, ongoing development and testing are taking place.
Liochon explained that Linea currently offers 15 times cheaper transactions compared to Ethereum’s layer 1. However, rollups are still limited because transactions are posted in call data within Ethereum blocks. According to Ethereum’s documentation, rollups are expensive due to the processing of call data by all Ethereum nodes and the indefinite on-chain storage of data that only needs to be available for a short time.
EIP-4844 seeks to address this issue by introducing data blocks that can be sent and attached to blocks. This data, which is not accessible to the Ethereum Virtual Machine, will be deleted after a certain period, resulting in significantly reduced transaction costs.
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Liochon emphasized that Linea’s prover, responsible for off-chain computation, verification, bundling, and creation of cryptographic proof for combined transactions, represents only a fifth of the total cost. This highlights the main challenge in establishing ZK-rollups as the preferred scaling solution for Ethereum, as opposed to alternatives like Optimistic Rollups.
Furthermore, Linea aims to be a general-purpose ZK-rollup, supporting various decentralized applications and solutions within the Ethereum ecosystem. Liochon emphasized the importance of catering to all types of applications, including DeFi, gaming, and social platforms.
In August 2023, Consensys completed the launch of Linea, onboarding over 150 partners and facilitating more than $26 million worth of Ether (ETH) transactions. The platform has been widely adopted and serves as a testament to the potential of ZK-rollups in expanding the capabilities of Ethereum.
In conclusion, the introduction of proto-danksharding is anticipated to bring about a significant reduction in the cost of rollups within the Ethereum ecosystem. This development, coupled with the efficiency of Linea’s ZK-rollup solution, has the potential to revolutionize the scalability of Ethereum and unlock new possibilities for various applications. With ongoing development and testing, the Ethereum community eagerly awaits the official launch of proto-danksharding and the positive impact it will have on the network’s transaction costs.
