ZKsync Unveils Airbender, Fastest ZK Prover for Ethereum Layer-2

Matter Labs, the development team behind the Ethereum layer-2 scaling solution ZKsync, has introduced its new open-source cryptographic prover, Airbender, during the Permissionless conference. Airbender is a zero-knowledge virtual machine (zkVM) that delivers Ethereum block proofs in just 35 seconds using a single GPU, making it the fastest prover of its kind in the zero-knowledge ecosystem.

Provers are essential for layer-2 networks as they generate zero-knowledge proofs that link off-chain transactions back to the Ethereum mainnet, ensuring security and finality. By significantly reducing proof generation time, Airbender enables faster finality, lower transaction costs, and a seamless experience for real-time applications like micropayments, high-frequency trading, and decentralized social platforms.

Co-founder Alex Gluchowski emphasized the significance of low-cost and high-speed proving, stating that Airbender brings transaction fees into "fraction of a cent" territory. The prover's performance also supports home-proving, enabling zero-knowledge apps to verify proofs outside of large GPU server farms.

Built on RISC-V, a modern and more efficient alternative to the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), Airbender aligns with Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin’s vision for a scalable and efficient blockchain future. Gluchowski noted that development began over a year ago, with Buterin’s recent endorsement reaffirming Matter Labs’ roadmap.

Developers can already begin testing Airbender through a new app released by Matter Labs. Pending approval from the ZKsync governance process, the prover is set to be included in a protocol upgrade later this summer. According to Gluchowski, Airbender marks the start of “an Internet of verifiable, interconnected chains,” unlocking new possibilities for scalable, secure Web3 applications.