Ultimate Guide to zkWASM

To understand zkWASM, we first need to understand the core working principle behind this technology — zk-proofs (ZKP).

A zero-knowledge proof is a cryptographic verification technique where one party (the prover) demonstrates to another party (the verifier) through mathematical means that they know a secret statement (that needs to be verified) without revealing any information about the statement itself.

The groundbreaking zero-knowledge proofs technology is revolutionizing the blockchain and web3 industry, with significant development already taking place in this domain.

Read more about zk-Proofs.

Zero-knowledge proofs solve many inherent problems in the blockchain space through cryptography and mathematical techniques. ZK-proofs are the underlying building blocks behind zkVEM and zkRollups. Now, zk-proofs are playing a crushing role in developing another disruptive technology, zkWASM.

What is zkWASM?

In the simplest terms, zkWASM stands for Zero-Knowledge WebAssembly. But what does that mean? Well, zkWASM is a computational proof generator that allows the verification of computations without the need to re-run them.

Basically, zkWASM enables an environment where developers can trust a computation outcome without understanding or seeing the computation itself. Hence the name Zero Knowledge WebAssembly.

Why is zkWASM Important?

The main features of WebAssembly are as follows:

1. WASM is one of the only four web languages besides HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

2. All major web browsers support WASM.

3. WASM enables any programming language to run on web browsers.

Given all these advantages, zero-knowledge WebAssembly could potentially disrupt the blockchain development space because the current development trend of blockchain technology mainly revolves around two challenges –

1. Scalability and improvements by increasing blockchains' throughput (TPS) and transaction volumes.

2. Improving and optimizing the smart contract programming models.

zkEVMs and various other Layer-2 technologies are addressing the first issue through various techniques such as zk-Rollups, Optimistic Rollups, and zkSTARK etc. Still, these efforts might not be enough to ensure mass adoption of the blockchain technology.

Ethereum Virtual Machine limits itself to only Solidity programming language and does not support other popular programming languages such as C, C++, Java, Rust, Swify, etc. This shortcoming of EVM and zkEVM limits them from catering to the large programming community that uses other programming languages to build their applications.

Thus, using zkWASM as the portable compilation target for various programming languages such as .Net, AssemblyScript, C, C#, C++, Clean, COBOL, D, Eel, Elixir, F#, Faust, Forest, Forth, Go, Haskell, Java, JavaScript, Lisp, Lua, Ruby, Rust, Scheme, Swift, TypeScript, etc will bring many traditional developers to the blockchain world.

How Does zkWASM Work?

On a deeper level, zkWASM is a portable virtual machine (like zkEVM) that allows developers to write privacy-preserving applications in their favorite programming language that compiles to WASM without having any specialized knowledge of zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) technology.

Users can then use these applications in their browsers like normal applications without needing any special hardware or software to run these applications.

How Does zkWASM Improve Blockchain?

Apart from attracting a broader developer community by allowing traditional developers to build applications for blockchain, zkWASM also helps blockchain address some of its inherent challenges –

zkWASM uses Zero-Knowledge Proofs. The combination of off-chain computations and on-chain verifications enabled by ZKP significantly speeds up transaction times, making the blockchain more efficient. Using zero-knowledge proofs ensures that all transactions are secure and private, enhancing the overall security of the blockchain.

Use Cases of zkWASM.

WASM has a big community of traditional developers that use WebAssembly to smoothly function their applications across various web browsers and devices. By introducing this developer community to zero-knowledge proofs, zkWASM can revolutionize the Web3 and blockchain industry.

zkWASM could unlock a variety of use cases for the ZKP-based privacy-preserving applications, including zero-knowledge gaming, social, office, supply chain identity management, etc.

Closing Thoughts

zkWASM is an interesting technology that combines traditional programming flexibility with privacy-focused zero-knowledge proofs. This unlocks new use cases for the decentralized technology while ensuring robust security, privacy, and interoperability with the potential to disrupt the blockchain industry.