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ZKM, a trailblazer zero-knowledge team, has officially launched zkMIPS 1.0, the first production-grade release of its MIPS-based zero-knowledge virtual machine (zkVM). This milestone equips developers with a high-performance, stable and production-grade zkVM, ready for real-world deployment across Ethereum (ETH), Bitcoin (BTC) and other L1 blockchains.
zkMIPS 1.0 introduced by ZKM: What does this mean for ZK segment?
According to the official statement by ZKM, a developer of virtual machines protected by zero-knowledge (ZK) tech, its zkMIPS 1.0 release has successfully gone live.
Built on the battle-tested MIPS32r2 instruction set architecture, zkMIPS 1.0 departs from the trend of zkVMs built on RISC-V and introduces a more mature, efficient and purpose-aligned architecture for verifiable computation.
The upgrade delivers 500% to 1,800% performance advancements over zkMIPS 0.3.0, driven by a complete overhaul of the prover architecture, circuit layout, memory consistency model and precompile integration.
Choosing MIPS32r2 over RISC-V was a calculated engineering decision. While more complex to implement, MIPS allows for shorter programs, fewer circuit constraints and a more optimal match to ZK circuit design. zkMIPS 1.0 is the only fixed-ISA zkVM alternative in a sea of extensible, evolving RISC-V zkVMs.
Ming Guo, Cofounder and Chief Scientist at ZKM, reflects on this crucial milestone for his project and privacy-focused dApps segment as such:
While many zkVM projects are focused on maximizing visibility, we’ve stayed heads-down on engineering - focused on building the best product we can. Choosing MIPS32r2 over RISC-V was the harder path, but one we saw as necessary to build the optimal zkVM for verifiable computation. With the release of zkMIPS 1.0, we’re confident our architectural foundation will prove itself as the most performant in the industry.
The release arrives with Rust SDK, compiler toolchain, network proof support and local prover integration.
Merging benefits of Ethereum and Bitcoin
zkMIPS 1.0 is already verifying Ethereum mainnet blocks through the Ethereum Foundation’s EthProofs program and underpins GOAT Network, the first Bitcoin L2 using BitVM2 with sustainable native yield.
All proof types - Groth16, PLONK and compressed STARKs - are supported on the ZKM Proof Network, with further integrations underway across AI, Optimistic Rollup upgrades and more.
Kevin Liu, CEO of ZKM, highlighted that the release has the potential to change the narrative for both the Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) segments of the cryptocurrency sphere:
zkMIPS 1.0 provides a solid foundation for the most important use-case of our zkVM to date: enabling native applications on Bitcoin through GOAT Network. GOAT introduces the industry's first and only sustainable BTC yield mechanism via a unique decentralized sequencer design - and now, with zkMIPS 1.0, it has the best zkVM in the industry powering it.
Technically, the new release comes with a number of other advancements. A richer instruction set enables denser programs, shorter traces and fewer constraints. Powered by Plonky3 and Koala Prime Field, the new solution unlocks fast, recursive, STARK-based proofs with 31-bit arithmetic. It also reduces proving cost without sacrificing circuit completeness and handles field arithmetic and Keccak in optimized circuits.
The zkMIPS 1.0 release lays the foundation for real-time proving, ZK-based Bitcoin scalability and unified liquidity across chains. With performance proven and integrations live, ZKM is focused on deepening precompile support, improving the cost model and expanding rollup integrations.
Vladislav Sopov