Author: Blockchain Knight

The zkEVM ecosystem has achieved a leap in performance after a year of hard work, with Ethereum block proof times plummeting from 16 minutes to just 16 seconds, and costs reduced by 45 times. The participating zkVMs can now complete 99% of mainnet block proofs within 10 seconds on target hardware.

On December 18, the Ethereum Foundation (EF) announced the implementation of real-time proof mechanisms and the elimination of performance bottlenecks, but emphasized that the real challenge lies in reliability. A lack of security support for speed could become a burden, and several mathematical conjectures relied upon by zkEVMs based on the STARK algorithm have recently been disproven, leading to a decrease in security levels.

Previously, in July, the EF set comprehensive goals for real-time proof, covering multiple dimensions such as latency, hardware, and security, and has now met the standards through EthProofs benchmark testing.

The core shift is from pursuing throughput to proving security, clarifying that L1-level zkEVMs must achieve a 128-bit security standard, aligning with mainstream cryptographic norms, as forged proofs could lead to token forgery and L1 state tampering, posing fatal risks where security margins are non-negotiable.

The EF simultaneously announced a three-phase security roadmap:

• By the end of February 2026, all zkEVM teams must integrate their proof systems with EF's soundcalc security assessment tool to unify security measurement standards;
• Achieve the Glamsterdam standard by the end of May, realizing a transitional goal of 100-bit provable security;
• Complete the H-star final goal by the end of December, achieving 128-bit provable security, and provide formal security proofs for recursive topological structures.

To achieve these goals, the EF mentioned core technical tools such as WHIR and JaggedPCS, which can enhance efficiency by optimizing proof generation and avoiding computational waste, while also using techniques like recursive topology to reduce proof sizes.

However, multiple challenges remain. Real-time proof has yet to be implemented on-chain, and the actual operational effectiveness of validators is in doubt; security parameters need to be dynamically adjusted as mathematical conjectures are disproven; it is uncertain whether some teams can meet deadlines; and formal verification projects for recursive architectures are still in their early stages, leading to uneven ecological development.

It is noteworthy that once the standards are met, zkEVM can support Ethereum in increasing gas limits, enhancing block capacity while ensuring the feasibility of staking, pushing L1 to become a trusted settlement layer, and blurring the boundaries between L2 and L1 execution.

Now that the performance sprint has ended, the core proposition of the zkEVM ecosystem has shifted to achieving sufficiently reliable security proofs without relying on easily falsifiable conjectures, to support asset scales in the hundreds of billions. The current security race has officially begun, which will become the main theme for Ethereum in 2026.

免责声明：本文章仅代表作者个人观点，不代表本平台的立场和观点。本文章仅供信息分享，不构成对任何人的任何投资建议。用户与作者之间的任何争议，与本平台无关。如网页中刊载的文章或图片涉及侵权，请提供相关的权利证明和身份证明发送邮件到support@aicoin.com，本平台相关工作人员将会进行核查。