After a year of intensive efforts, the zkEVM ecosystem has achieved a significant performance leap, $Ethereum (ETH.CC)$ with block proof time plummeting from 16 minutes to 16 seconds, and costs decreasing by a factor of 45. Participating zkVMs can now complete proofs for 99% of mainnet blocks within 10 seconds on target hardware.
On December 18, the Ethereum Foundation (EF) announced the implementation of real-time proof mechanisms and the resolution of performance bottlenecks, but emphasized that the true challenge lies in reliability. Speed without security support will become a burden. Additionally, multiple zkEVMs based on the STARK algorithm rely on mathematical conjectures that have recently been disproven, leading to a reduction in security levels.
In July, EF set an integrated real-time proof goal covering various dimensions such as latency, hardware, and security. This target has now been met through the EthProofs benchmark.
The core shift is from pursuing throughput to provable security, specifying that L1-level zkEVMs must achieve a 128-bit security standard to align with mainstream cryptographic norms. Forged proofs could lead to catastrophic risks like token forgery or tampering with L1 states, making the security margin non-negotiable.
EF simultaneously released a three-phase security roadmap:
By the end of February 2026, all zkEVM teams must integrate their proof systems into EF's soundcalc security evaluation tool to establish a unified security measurement standard.
By the end of May, achieve the Glamsterdam standard, reaching intermediate goals such as 100-bit provable security.
By the end of December, complete the H-star ultimate goal by achieving 128-bit provable security and providing formalized security arguments for recursive topology.
To achieve these goals, EF mentioned core technical tools like WHIR and JaggedPCS, which can improve efficiency by optimizing proof generation and avoiding computational waste, while also reducing proof size using techniques such as recursive topology.
However, multiple challenges remain. Real-time proof has not yet been implemented on-chain, raising doubts about the actual operational effectiveness of validators. Security parameters require dynamic adjustment due to the disproof of certain mathematical conjectures. It is uncertain whether some teams can meet the deadlines. Formal verification projects for recursive architectures are still in their early stages, and ecosystem development remains uneven.
Notably, once zkEVMs meet the standards, they can support Ethereum in increasing the Gas limit, ensuring staking feasibility while enhancing block capacity. This advancement will drive L1 to become a trusted settlement layer and blur the boundary between L2 and L1 execution.
Now that the performance sprint has concluded, the core proposition of the zkEVM ecosystem has shifted to achieving sufficiently reliable security proofs without relying on assumptions prone to failure, in order to support asset scales reaching hundreds of billions. The current security competition has officially commenced and will become the main theme for Ethereum in 2026.
Editor/Doris