The Ethereum ecosystem may soon witness the introduction of several new layer 2 (L2) protocols built on Polygon’s recently open-sourced Chain Development Kit (CDK). This CDK leverages zero-knowledge proof (ZK-proof) technology to ensure security and fast finality. Polygon Hermez zkEVM’s technical lead, Jordi Baylina, spoke exclusively to Cointelegraph about the newly available tool set.
According to Baylina, the main objective behind the CDK is to make it easy and seamless for developers to launch a ZK-powered Layer 2 on Ethereum, tailored to their project’s specific requirements. He emphasized that one crucial aspect of the Polygon CDK is its ability to provide automatic access to liquidity across all of Polygon’s chains and the wider Ethereum ecosystem. This ensures on-demand scale without fragmenting liquidity.
Baylina highlighted the myriad of projects currently developing CDK-powered chains for various use cases. These include payment-specific L2s, decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, gaming platforms, social-specific platforms, and creator or non-fungible token (NFT) platforms.
One of the key features of the CDK is its customizability for different appchains. It offers various customizations, such as rollup or validium mode, zkEVM or another ZK-powered execution environment, different data availability solutions, native token and gas token customization, and even centralized or decentralized sequencer mode. It also supports permissioned networks with granular allowlists.
The importance of ZK-proof technology was also stressed by Baylina, who believes that zero-knowledge is the future of scaling Ethereum. Chains launched with Polygon CDK are automatically connected to a shared ZK bridge and plugged into an “interop layer,” which serves as a cross-chain communication protocol. Rather than each chain submitting proofs directly to Ethereum, the interop layer receives proofs from chains and submits a single ZK proof that proves the state of all Polygon chains. This technology enables sub-minute cross-chain transactions and creates the perception of a single-chain environment.
When comparing CDK to other programming languages in the Ethereum ecosystem, such as StarkWare’s Cairo codebase, Baylina explains that Polygon CDK offers a different architecture. It provides automatic access to shared liquidity through a ZK bridge and an interop layer of an L2 ecosystem secured by working ZK-proofs.
Baylina reiterates the belief in ZK-proofs as the future of Ethereum scalability due to their fast finality and withdrawal times. In contrast to fraud proofs that feature in Optimistic rollup L2 solutions, which can cause week-long delays, ZK-proofs offer more efficient and secure bridges without the need for social-economic components.
In previous coverage, Cointelegraph explored the Ethereum layer 2 ecosystem, diving into the basics of Ethereum rollups and the different approaches to scaling the smart contract blockchain.
The introduction of Polygon’s CDK and the potential for new L2 protocols built on this technology offer promising advancements for the Ethereum ecosystem. The seamless access to liquidity, fast transaction finality, and enhanced security provided by ZK-proofs could address some of the scalability challenges faced by Ethereum, further fueling its growth and adoption in various industries.