- Kakarot plans to publish real-time STARK proofs for Ethereum Layer 1 blocks by 2025.
- Kakarot introduces Ethereum’s first alternative ZK stack built in Cairo using STARKs.
- The new zkEVM avoids Plonky3 and RISC-V, promoting client diversity for Ethereum.
Kakarot introduced a new version of Ethereum Virtual Machine (zkEVM) through its blockchain infrastructure, which received financial backing from Vitalik Buterin and StarkWare.
The system development took place inside the Cairo programming language of StarkWare, which generates STARK-based cryptographic proofs for Ethereum blocks. The startup forecasts the generation of operational proof for Ethereum Layer 1 blocks in real-time before the end of 2025.
The zkEVM from the firm executes Ethereum smart contracts while validating transactions through STARKs, rather than Plonky3, which is typically used for system verification. Kakarot’s solution stays ahead of Ethereum’s 12-second block time when it comes to proof publishing claims, according to Clement Walter, who serves as the company’s CTO. He declared that their team will deliver proof generation within 8 seconds, which promises enhanced block validation capacities for Ethereum.
Independent ZK Stack Addresses Ethereum’s 2028 Roadmap
The Ethereum roadmap outlines a complete transition to zero-knowledge proof verification, which is expected to become operational by 2028. Kakarot presents what it describes as the first trustworthy proof stack alternative for ZK-EVMs that operate across the network. The present solutions operate with Rust-EVM combined with RISC-V instruction set and Plonky3 provers. The system operates without Rust-EVM and the RISC-V instruction set architecture because it runs on StarkWare and Cairo infrastructure, minimizing dependencies.
The project architecture seeks to expand the range of clients that interact with the Ethereum execution and consensus networks. Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake mentioned that diversified implementations work as an intrinsic security measure by reducing dependency on any solitary code implementation. Through its design, Kakarot creates diversity among zero-knowledge proof clients while protecting from dominant system bugs.
Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, recently suggested replacing Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) bytecode with RISC-V architecture to enhance scalability. Kakarot follows a separate design path by declining to use RISC-V, according to Walter, who explains that Ethereum requires its own modified stack rather than reusing previously developed stacks despite the beneficial nature of ZK-friendly instructions.
Kakarot Targets Real-Time STARK Proofs on Ethereum Layer 1
Kakarot constitutes a significant advancement that enables real-time cryptographic verification of Ethereum blocks. The team intends to integrate this system with Ethereum Layer 1 by the end of 2025. With such success, the Ethereum blockchain would enable STARK proofs to be attached to each new block before producing the next block. Kakarot launched from Paris while receiving $6 million to become a specialized
An infrastructure firm that originated from a community project. The company develops zkEVM with Cairo software and acts as a backbone that utilizes StarkWare’s existing tools to provide blockchain computation with verification capabilities. The upcoming Pectra upgrade of Ethereum demonstrates continued development of Layer 1 scalability and cryptographic proof efficiency, as documented by Kakarot’s announcement.
