The Ethereum Foundation has made a significant announcement that will spur study and development in the field of Zero-Knowledge proofs and standards for ZK L2s. With the introduction of the first round of ZK financing, the foundation has formed partnerships with significant blockchain players such as Aztec, Polygon, Scroll, Taiko, and zkSync. Each partner has donated $150,000 to a pooled reward pool, totaling $900,000 for this effort.
This unusual joint awards round, a first for the Ethereum Ecosystem Support Programme, aims to use both the financial support and substantial technical expertise of the participating L2 solutions. The joint goal is to move the Ethereum network forward by promoting breakthroughs that have the potential to reinvent the blockchain’s scaleability and privacy.
This funding project has a wide range of objectives, focusing on a variety of sectors within the Zero-Knowledge arena. High-level issues of interest include performance benchmarking across multiple proof systems and client implementations, as well as the creation of tools to improve the developer experience (DevX) for ZK-DSLs. Furthermore, the programme intends to provide publicly available standards for the security and dangers associated with Zero-Knowledge Rollups (ZKRs) and bridge technologies.
For anyone interested in applying, the Ethereum Foundation has established certain application requirements. Proposals must be explicit in their approach, with a complete description, budget, and timeframe, as well as an applicant profile and a public repository or link to published work. The programme, which includes a proposal form for help, is accessible to projects at all stages of development, from basic concepts to completely fleshed-out solutions.
Eligibility for the award includes initiatives that connect with the round’s stated aims and wishlist, are open-source with a liberal licence, and provide public goods that promote the growth and development of the Ethereum ZK L2 ecosystem.
