Decentralized Prover Protocol Succinct Labs in Polygon's zkPoS Evolution

Polygon recently hinted at a potential merger with AggLayer involving its Proof-of-Stake (PoS) system. This merger, if finalized, will mark the first phase of Polygon's zkPoS evolution.

If the proposed merger with AggLayer is accepted by the community, it is anticipated that the combined liquidity pool for chains linked to AggLayer could increase by $2 billion.

Polygon Foundation Recognizes PoS Capabilities

The blockchain ecosystem primarily operates on two consensus mechanisms: Proof-of-Stake (PoS) and Proof-of-Work (PoW). Notably, Ethereum (ETH) shifted to the PoS consensus algorithm in 2022 through The Merge, departing from PoW like Bitcoin (BTC).

The Polygon Foundation holds a firm belief in the widespread use of PoS in the blockchain world, stressing its substantial adoption with over 400 million unique addresses and a myriad of applications.

Polygon PoS distinguishes itself by handling a larger volume of transactions compared to the cumulative transactions across Ethereum Layer 2 protocols.

In the envisioned merger with AggLayer, the decentralized prover protocol Succinct Labs will play a crucial role by providing support for the SP1 zkVM utilization. This specific zkVM allows AggLayer to validate Rust code execution with the efficiency advantages of the Polygon Plonky3 proving system.

The connection between Polygon PoS and AggLayer will be solidified through the Plonky3-secured pessimistic proof, an innovative zero-knowledge proof constructed in Rust. Significantly, this pessimistic proof is adaptable to both zk and non-zk chains and is preferred for its cautious treatment of all chains.

Polygon PoS to Embrace AggLayer's Pessimistic Proof

AggLayer typically consolidates liquidity across all interconnected chains via a singular bridge. However, this sole bridge contract poses susceptibility to malicious activities targeting the tokens within it.

To address this vulnerability, the pessimistic proof offers dual assurances: the truthful state update of each chain and the prevention of excessive token withdrawals compared to deposits. Failure to meet these requirements inhibits verification and settlement to Ethereum.

The proof of consensus will validate PoS functionality and ensure the faithful transition to its new state. Moreover, this consensus proof will enable Polygon PoS to demonstrate finality to AggLayer by imposing restrictions on withdrawals exceeding deposits.

It is noteworthy that this upgrade obviates the need for validators, alterations to consensus mechanisms, or network client modifications. Upon community ratification, this enhancement will align the Polygon chain with Ethereum's ultimate scaling solution.