At Zircuit, we are driven by a singular mission: to power the limitless potential of web3. We believe the future of the decentralized internet requires a foundation that is not only fast and affordable but also fundamentally secure and adaptable. This belief led us to engineer a next-generation Layer 2 network for Ethereum, one that solves the critical challenges of scalability without compromising on security or the developer experience.
Our solution is a that strategically combines the most reliable elements of existing Layer 2 technology with the cutting-edge power of zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs. This article offers a deep dive into our design philosophy, explaining how we blend battle-tested infrastructure with advanced cryptography to deliver a platform that is fast, cheap, secure, and incredibly easy to build on.
One of our core commitments is to the vast and vibrant community of Ethereum developers. That’s why we made full EVM compatibility a non-negotiable feature of our architecture. For developers, this means you can migrate your existing decentralized applications (dApps) to Zircuit with minimal to no changes to your code.
It’s like being able to run your Windows software on a new, faster computer without having to rewrite the code for a different operating system. All the tools you know and love, from MetaMask to Hardhat, are fully supported. There's no need to learn a new programming language or framework; simply change the deployment endpoints, and you can bring your dApp to a more scalable and secure environment.
This seamless experience is a key part of our design, but it’s only half the story. The other half is how we achieve incredible performance and cost reduction, which is powered by our efficiency engine.
Generating zero-knowledge proofs for the entire, complex set of EVM rules can be a computational bottleneck, driving up costs and slowing down the network. To solve this, we engineered a highly efficient system based on two key principles: Circuit Decomposition and Proof Aggregation.
Imagine trying to verify a thousand-page instruction manual. Having one person read it from start to finish would be incredibly slow. A more efficient approach would be to split the manual into specialized chapters and have different experts review each chapter simultaneously. This is analogous to how our system worked:
This "assembly line" approach made our proof generation process incredibly fast and cost-effective. By submitting only one small, aggregated proof to Ethereum's mainnet, we significantly reduced on-chain verification costs, and those savings are passed directly to our users in the form of lower fees.
Building on these foundational principles, we've refined our approach into a more efficient system, with a new focus towards using a generalized zkVM, rather than a specialized zkEVM to prove transaction executions. Our current implementation has evolved into what we now call a two-phase proving architecture:
Generating zero-knowledge proofs remains computationally intensive, requiring significant RAM, CPU, and GPU resources. Every state root posted to L1 incurs gas costs that Zircuit pays in ETH. Our two-phase system is specifically designed to minimize these costs by bundling multiple proofs into single submissions.
Our current zkVM implementation represents a fundamental shift from our older zkEVM infrastructure. Instead of hardcoded circuits with fixed constraints defining the correct execution, our zkVM allows us to run the execution layer as a standard program. This program-agnostic approach means correctness is verified by flexible circuits that can adapt to future protocol changes without requiring extensive re-engineering.
For a deeper dive into this recent zkVM upgrade, you can read the full technical announcement here
This evolution from our initial circuit decomposition approach to our current Range and Aggregate Proof system represents Zircuit's commitment to continuously refining our technology while maintaining the speed, security, and cost-effectiveness our users depend on.
In web3 today, security is often reactive. Hacks are discovered after the damage is done, leaving projects and users to deal with the fallout. We believe in a better way. At Zircuit, we’ve shifted security from being an application-level concern to a core, protocol-level feature. We call this Sequencer-Level Security (SLS), and it’s our commitment to creating the safest possible on-chain environment.
Our SLS acts like an intelligent immune system for the blockchain. By embedding AI directly into the sequencer, the component that orders transactions, we can monitor the network's transaction queue and detect malicious activity before it gets included in a block.
Think of it like a modern bank's fraud detection system. It doesn't wait for a fraudulent charge to go through and then try to reverse it, it flags and blocks the suspicious transaction in real-time.
Similarly, when our AI identifies a potential threat, like a hack or a scam, it's automatically diverted to a "quarantine" area, preventing it from ever harming users on the chain. This proactive approach has been tested against historical exploits and has been shown to prevent 99.5% of real-world threats. This security model is a key differentiator when we look at how Zircuit stacks up against the competition.
The Layer 2 space is home to incredible innovation, and we have great respect for other leading projects like zkSync and Starknet. However, our approach gives us a distinct edge in key areas.
For developers evaluating these options, the most critical factor is often EVM Compatibility. As the table shows, Zircuit’s approach makes it the easiest zk-Rollup for the vast majority of developers to build on. There's no need to learn a custom language like Starknet's Cairo or work with custom EVM implementations.
You can deploy your existing Ethereum code and use existing tools directly with no modifications required. In addition, OPCODES like DELEGATECALL work without any modification or alternative implementations, which reduces the development cost of migrating dApps to Zircuit. This seamless developer experience, however, is only half of the equation. The other half is raw performance, which is where Zircuit's efficiency engine truly shines.
Our architecture is built for cutting-edge performance. By combining larger transaction batches with our accelerated proof processing, users benefit from faster and cheaper transactions.
Zircuit operates with fast, 2-second block times and a large block gas limit of 30,000,000. For a standard ETH-transfer (which costs 21,000 gas), this architecture allows for a theoretical throughput of approximately 714 TPS. While this figure is a baseline for simple transfers and real-world performance will naturally vary with traffic and transaction complexity, it highlights the immense potential of our efficiency engine. Paired with gas fees as low as $0.001, applications on Zircuit feel fast, responsive, and ready to scale effortlessly.
Our architecture represents a pragmatic and powerful evolution in Layer 2 design. By leveraging battle-tested infrastructure, we accelerate our time-to-market and deliver the seamless EVM compatibility developers need. By integrating cutting-edge ZK proofs and pioneering a new security paradigm with AI, we provide the performance and peace of mind that users deserve.
Zircuit is more than just another L2, it’s our vision for a safer, faster, and more accessible web3. We are building a platform where innovation can thrive without fear, and where the full potential of the decentralized internet can be realized.
Ready to build the future with us?
See you next time,
The Zircuit Team 💚
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