Kakarot zkEVM is revolutionizing the landscape of EVM-compatible application development by incorporating StarkNet integration, ensuring enhanced security and scalability. Recently, the project successfully concluded its pre-seed fundraising round, garnering significant support from influential figures like Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum.
Kakarot: New zkEVM Project Backed By Vitalik
Previously, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin praised ZK-Rollup as a groundbreaking solution that would eventually surpass Optimistic despite its lengthy development process. Both ZK-Rollup and Optimistic are layer-2 solutions aimed at expanding Ethereum’s capabilities by introducing off-chain computing while maintaining the blockchain’s security. However, there are differences in their design phases and the level of security they provide.
One limitation of ZK-Rollup is its inability to execute decentralized applications (dApps) like DeFi protocols due to the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). This limitation is set to change as ZK-Rollup is working towards EVM compatibility for several major ongoing projects such as Scroll, Taiko, Polygon, and ConsenSys.
A potential solution to this challenge is Kakarot zkEVM, which is based in Cairo. On June 2, Kakarot zkEVM announced the successful completion of its pre-seed investment round, with contributions from notable figures like Vitalik Buterin, Nicolas Bacca (co-founder and VP of innovation at Ledger), and Starkware (a blockchain scaling company).
As a Cairo-based Ethereum Virtual Machine, Kakarot zkEVM can execute EVM bytecode applications on StarkNet, an Ethereum layer-2 scaling solution.
The EVM is a well-established virtual machine architecture with 142 opcodes, 9 precompiles, and a democratic process for updating them. The introduction of Cairo in the context of zkEVM could potentially result in a “free” zkEVM, leveraging the scaling property of zero-knowledge.
This concept gained popularity in the Starknet community, and in October 2022, Abdel, the leader of Starkware’s exploratory team and a core Ethereum developer, began its development.
Around the same time, the Starknet open-source building community, with the assistance of Onlydust, launched a competing effort. Eventually, StarknetCC in Lisbon absorbed the latter. Since then, the project has been incubated and shaped.
Cairo is a comprehensive language integrated with CairoVM, and Kakarot zkEVM is built on top of CairoVM. Development teams can utilize Kakarot zkEVM to design and deploy EVM-compatible applications.
Kakarot apps can be developed using the Solidity programming language or any other EVM-compatible language, similar to Ethereum or Polygon programs. Users can interact with deployed apps using conventional technologies like Metamask or WalletConnect.
CairoVM utilizes polynomials and the ZK-STARK proof system to offer verifiable computing. The zkEVM’s ability to create verifiable transactions, leading to provable blocks, is a significant advantage.
Kakarot is based on CairoVM, ensuring that every transaction on the platform is verifiable. Kakarot also aims to enable compatibility with native Starknet protocols and protocol composability, facilitating the merging of Total Value Locked (TVL) in DeFi with a user base in GameFi.
Fractal Scaling
Kakarot zkEVM has the potential to take various forms. One possibility is implementing it as a smart contract on top of Starknet L2, where it appears as an EVM (Ethereum RPC, Ethereum transaction, etc.) exposed on Starknet.
Alternatively, the project can be integrated into the stack to establish an L3 zkEVM by merging Madara (a Starknet complete node) with Kakarot (an EVM runtime). The stack comprises a Substrate full node utilizing CairoVM as the execution engine and Kakarot as the smart contract runtime.
Transactions processed by Kakarot can be proven and validated on the settlement layer, enabling EVM-compatible fractal scalability.
Initially, according to the project plan, Kakarot will function as an EVM on Starknet Layer 2. Researchers anticipate that introducing Kakarot zkEVM to Starknet will unlock a multitude of new possibilities and enhance the Starknet ecosystem.
Looking ahead, the project aims to establish connections with native Starknet protocols and facilitate collaboration with other protocols.
Roadmap
Phase 1: Introducing EVM to Starknet – Kakarot zkEVM on Starknet
In the initial phase, Kakarot zkEVM will be integrated into Starknet L2, allowing developers to deploy Solidity or other EVM-compatible languages directly on Starknet using familiar toolkits such as Foundry, Hardhat, and Wagmi.
Customers will be able to interact with their DApps using standard toolchains like Metamask and Wallet Connect, providing a developer and user experience similar to Polygon, Scroll, or Ethereum L1.
Phase 2: L3 zkEVM with Kakarot x Madara
In this phase, Kakarot and Madara will be combined into a unified stack to handle L3 zkEVM and beyond. Teams will be able to deploy their zkEVM application chain on Starknet, settling transactions using proofs of validity. The provability feature allows computation beneath the chain, calculation on the layer, and chain verification.
One interesting aspect of L3 zkEVM is the ability to separate security from decentralization, providing Ethereum L1’s security with reduced decentralization.
Gas fees are significantly lower compared to L2 due to computation in another layer, while performance in terms of transactions per second (TPS) is improved. The scalability is achieved by stacking and multiplying rolled-up solutions.
To further reduce gas expenses, proof verification and data availability can be separated. Starknet L2 can serve as a proof verification layer, while new data availability solutions like Celestia or EigenDA can publish transaction data.
Users can choose the option that suits their security needs. Publishing proofs and transaction data on Starknet offers enhanced security, while utilizing data availability solutions is a more cost-effective approach.
Phase 3: zkEVM type 1 with Kakarot x Madara
Combining Kakarot and Madara enables the implementation of zkEVM type 1. Cairo is used to incorporate Ethereum consensus rules into the Madara x Kakarot full node, enabling proof of L1 consensus. Keccak MPT replaces Pedersen Merkle Patricia Trie (MPT).
As a result, Kakarot becomes a type 1 zkEVM with the ability to provide evidence of L1 blocks. This advanced use case depends on Ethereum’s development progress, particularly with regards to Verge. After Verge, Poseidon may replace Keccak as Ethereum’s preferred hash algorithm.
This transition will aid the zkEVM team in becoming a type 1 zkEVM by addressing the key compatibility barrier of storage layout, specifically implementing Keccak MPT in a provable and cost-effective manner.
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