What is Taiko?
Taiko's goal is to become the complete ZK-Rollup equivalent of Ethereum in order to scale Ethereum while maintaining its technology and fundamental principles. As a rollup that is fully equivalent to Ethereum, it will enable dApp developers and users to take advantage of the power of Ethereum Layer 1 (L1) without requiring any changes to their existing dApps.
Main points
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Rollups appear to be the best scaling solution for Ethereum, while Taiko aims to be the most equivalent solution to Ethereum.
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Following the decentralized spirit of Ethereum, Taiko aims to be completely decentralized, with decentralized orderers and validators.
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To achieve fast network speeds and scalability, Taiko uses zero-knowledge proofs.
Ethereum has changed the game with its global settlement network. It enables digital and immutable ownership of assets and data and allows permissionless transfers to anyone around the world at any time.
The system works because it focuses on decentralization and security rather than speed and scalability. However, a lack of scalability results in high transaction fees and low throughput, limiting Ethereum’s potential.
RecentlyEthereumPEPE and other memecoin popularity Again causing network congestion, the gas cost per transaction exceeds $50. Therefore, the need for Ethereum scaling solutions still exists. There are other protocols designed to make cryptocurrencies and DeFi scale, and Taiko is one of them.
Origin:PEPE
Rollups have emerged as the most advantageous scaling solution, and the Ethereum equivalent of ZK-rollups is the most promising type of Rollup, which is where Taiko comes in. Announced in 2022, Taiko was founded by developers who have been working with zero-knowledge Rollups since then. 2018.
The Taiko team is working hard to create a powerful platform for Ethereum developers and users, and they launched the alpha-2 testnet in March 2023, which provides a $25,000 prize pool for provers, as well as potential TKO airdrop opportunities in the future . As of this writing, Taiko’s testnet is currently down and they are developing the next phase of the testnet. For anyone interested in airdrops and using the much talked about ZK rollups, Taiko should be at the top of that list and we will be putting together an airdrop guide once the next testnet phase is over.
In this article, we’ll explore what Taiko is, its unique features, and its ecosystem.
Taiko summary
Taiko is a decentralized layer 2 blockchain protocol using zero-knowledgeEthereum Virtual Machine(ZK-EVM ). It is designed to be the most equivalent and universal zero-knowledge rollup (ZK-Rollup) to Ethereum.
The main goal of Taiko is to provide a scalable and efficient platform for decentralized application (dApp) developers and users, allowing them to leverage the power of Ethereum Layer 1 (L1) without the need for modifications to existing dApps. any changes.
“When I thought about the long-term sustainability and growth of the ecosystem, I realized that Ethereum needed a scaling solution that was as similar as possible to the original platform. I recognized that compatibility and decentralization were key aspects to ensure continued success.” We firmly believe that the concept of "develop once, deploy anywhere" is the guiding principle of Ethereum in the future.
- Daniel Wang, CEO of Taiko
Source: Taiko Newsletter for Tuesday, May 1, 2023
Before we take a closer look at Taiko, let's take a brief look at ZK rollups, since Taiko's technology is centered around them.
What is ZK Rollup?
ZK-rollups scale computation by executing, aggregating, and proving off-chain transactions and relying on Ethereum for data availability and validity proof verification.
The biggest drawback of ZK-rollups currently in production is that they do not fully support the general purpose computation of the EVM, but are mostly application-specific. This breaks compatibility with existing Ethereum L1 smart contracts and dApps, and further enables builds that offer the same type of composable, expressive It becomes difficult to experience new contracts and dApps.
Ethereum’s equivalent ZK-rollups (sometimes called ZK-EVM) are the holy grail of layer 2 scaling solutions because they don’t compromise security or compatibility while providing faster, cheaper transactions.
There are already some ZK-EVMs, such asScroll or Polygon. Let’s explore why Taiko is unique compared to other networks.
Ethereum equivalent ZK-EVM
Taiko is building Type 1 ZK-EVM, which is designed to be fully compatible with Ethereum by incorporating ZK-EVM that supports all EVM opcodes. Taiko's main goal as a Type 1 ZK-EVM is to emphasize Ethereum equivalence rather than the speed of ZK proof generation. The term "type-1" stems from the fact that these ZK-EVMs do not make any changes to the Ethereum framework, including hash functions, state trees, or gas fees. This compatibility enables client-side reuse with minimal adjustments.
Source of funding:Taiko
The main benefit of this is that developers can deploy existing Ethereum dApps on Taiko without any modifications while still running smoothly on Taiko, saving developer time and attracting existing EVM developers.
Taiko’s technical structure consists of three main components: ZK-EVM circuit (for proof generation), layer 2rollup node (used to manage the rollup chain) and the L1 protocol (used to connect these two parts together for rollup protocol verification). These components work together to ensure seamless compatibility with Ethereum L1, providing a familiar experience for developers and users.
Source of funding:Taiko
This high level of compatibility eliminates the need for developers to rewrite their dApps, saving time and effort while ensuring a smooth transition and increasing developer adoption of Taiko. This focus on compatibility sets Taiko apart from other ZK-EVMs on the market, as not all ZK-EVMs allow EVM code to work without changes.
High speed and scalability of ZK Rollups
Taiko utilizes ZK-Rollup technology to increase transaction throughput and reduce fees. ZK-rollups use cryptographic proofs to verify transactions, making them more efficient and secure compared to traditional optimistic rollups.
In addition to being faster, ZK rollups allow Taiko to scale better by maintaining state for all L2 transfers with minimal data, simplifying block validation and data transfer to L1. This means Taiko can accommodate an increasing number of users and transactions, making it an attractive option for developers and users looking for a scalable blockchain.
Security and decentralization
To demonstrate that Taiko prioritizessecurityanddecentralization, their goal is to launch a fully decentralized set of proposers and provers (aka orderers and validators) that allows anyone to perform these duties without restrictions.
Origin:L2beat.com
As shown in the image above, a properly decentralized aggregation with decentralized proposers and provers will display "proposal blocks" in the sequencer and validator failure columns so that users can easily operate. There is currently no L2 that satisfies both requirements, so these are not fully decentralized L2s.
Taiko’s approach is to not whitelist any party and allow anyone to propose blocks. To take things a step further, Taiko plans to be leaderless and completely community-driven. It will start with a fully decentralized structure and move to a more centralized structure if necessary. Governance of Taiko will gradually be transferred to the Taiko DAO, more details will be discussed in a future post.
Decentralization is an important aspect of the Ethereum equivalent, and by taking the above steps, Taiko prioritizes it to ensure the network’s censorship resistance and vitality. By upholding these core principles, Taiko provides a solid foundation for building and deploying dApps while staying true to the core values of the Ethereum ecosystem.
Taiko is completely open source
In addition, Taiko is fully open source and its code is available onGitHub. It mainly uses the permissive MIT license, except for its minimally modified geth fork, which retains the original GPL license. The project includes protocol smart contracts, L2 node software, and ZK-EVM circuitry, all of which are open for unrestricted participation.
The main difference between the MIT and GPL licenses is the degree of restrictions placed on developers. MIT allows more freedom and only requires keeping the copyright and permission notices, while GPL enforces stricter rules, such as converting the entire project to a GPL license.
Taiko chose the MIT license to prioritize compatibility and simplicity, making their codebase easier for others to use and increasing opportunities for collaboration. While the GPL can provide additional user protections, Taiko values inclusivity and accessibility, striving to maintain transparency and ensure user freedom.
route map
Taiko just concluded their alpha testnets 1 and 2, which were primarily focused on having permissionless proposers and provers respectively.
Their upcoming milestones include more alpha testnets with more zero-knowledge proof capabilities, and with more dapps we will start to see their ecosystem take shape.
Source of funding:Taiko
in conclusion
The well-known blockchain trilemma states that it can only achieve two of three properties: decentralization, security, and scalability. However, the Ethereum equivalent of ZK rollups can select all three components without affecting scaling.
Taiko is looking to solve Ethereum scaling issues while retaining a familiar Ethereum experience for its users and developers. It is a promising decentralized layer 2 blockchain protocol that leverages the Zero-Knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine (ZK-EVM) and ZK rollups. As a ZK-Rollup that is fully equivalent to Ethereum, Taiko aims to maintain decentralization, security, compatibility, and simplicity to attract more developers and users.
Taiko's main focus is to have full Ethereum compatibility, allow developers to deploy existing dApps without modification, achieve high speed and scalability through ZK-Rollup technology, and strive to be a secure and decentralized L2 for Ethereum . Additionally, Taiko is completely open source, using primarily the MIT license to encourage collaboration and transparency.
As the alpha testnet progresses, Taiko is becoming a highly accessible and user-friendly platform for Ethereum developers and users.
By staying true to Ethereum’s core values and providing a scalable, efficient platform, Taiko has the potential to have a significant impact on the future development of the blockchain ecosystem.