The future of zkVM, why is it based on RISC-V architecture?

Source: hyperstructured.greg Today officially launched zkVM 1.0, a production-ready version of its general-purpose zkVM. There are already players on the zkVM track that can be put into production, but most people may often hear "zkEVM" in their ears, but they don't know what the word "zkVM" is. This article introduces the advantages of the instruction set selected by most zkVM. For more information about zkVM, you can learn about it through this article. zkVM is more general than zkEVM, unlocking the possibility of writing programs in a general language and writing code outside the Solidity library, and it has become a popular track nowadays. The top projects on the track, RISC Zero, Succint, Lita, and jolt built by a16z, are all based on the RISC-V instruction set. What are its advantages? Why will the future of zkVM be based on RISC-V architecture? Why is @rv_inc building tools to allow formal verification at the RISC-V level?

RISC-V instruction set mainly has the following advantages:

Open and scalable architecture:

RISC-V is an open standard instruction Set Architecture (ISA), can be free used for any type of purpose and is highly adaptable and customizable. This enables zkVM developers to tailor the architecture specifically for proof operations, optimizing performance and efficiency. Why does Linux occupy the largest share of server systems? The word "free" is really important!

Modularity and flexibility:

RISC-V’s modularity feature enables zkVM developers to implement only the functionality they need, avoiding Unnecessary complexity and overhead. The advantages of modularity have been emphasized too much in this cycle and will not be repeated here.

Standardization and ecosystem support:

RISC-V has a rapidly growing ecosystem with extensive toolchain support, including compilers and debuggers, e.g. @rv_inc is building a formal verification tool for the RISC-V ISA. A rapidly developing ecology means a vast space for innovation, which can sometimes lead to a synergistic effect of killing two birds with one stone.

Efficient proof generation and verification:

The simplicity of RISC-V’s design allows for more efficient execution of complex algorithms involved in zero-knowledge proofs. By leveraging the RISC-V instruction set architecture, “zkVM” can achieve better performance in terms of speed and resource utilization, which are critical for proof aggregation.

Security and Formal Verification:

RISC-V’s clear and well-defined architecture makes it easier to apply formal verification techniques, which is essential for ensuring zkVM The safety and correctness are crucial. By using RISC-V, developers will be able to leverage formal verification tools and methods to build more secure zkVMs.

Cross-platform compatibility:

RISC-V works with various hardware platforms (including X86, x64 and ARM, namely common Windows, Mac and various simple Compatibility between appliances) means zkVM can be deployed across a wide range of environments. Such flexibility is key to proving widespread adoption of converged solutions, as it allows for seamless integration into disparate systems.

Language Universality:

RISC-V does not have a built-in concept of wallet addresses or other blockchain structures. The instruction set mainly consists of operators that move data between memory locations and perform mathematical operations on the data. At the same time, compared to EVM, the underlying RISC-V emulator allows programmers to write programs for zkVM in languages ​​such as Rust, C/C++, and Go. This means that zkVM programmers can use related libraries developed by others in the language's ecosystem. Such as the Rust library developed for Solana and so on. As the concept of "universal computing" becomes increasingly popular, what kind of spark will zkVM bring to the current fierce VM competition (MoveVM, SVM, EVM, zkEVM...)? Can it achieve considerable adoption and gain a firm foothold? The first player RISC Zero has made its debut, and the rest will be verified by time.

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