ZKsync has unveiled Airbender, a high-performance universal ZK prover designed to meet the practical demands of interoperability, decentralization, and scalability. As the fastest open-source RISC-V zkVM, Airbender outperforms leading competitors—proving Ethereum blocks in under 35 seconds on a single GPU and leveraging ZKsync OS to validate average Ethereum block execution in just 17 seconds.
Introducing ZKsync Airbender: The World’s Fastest RISC-V zkVM
Today, we proudly present ZKsync Airbender—a next-generation ZK prover engineered for speed, efficiency, and versatility without compromise.
Airbender isn’t just fast; it’s revolutionary. Benchmark results demonstrate its superiority:
- Sub-second proofs for ZKsync blocks (~3 seconds per proof on consumer GPUs).
- 4–6x faster than the nearest competitor.
- 21.8 MHz base-layer proof speed on an H100 GPU (vs. 3.45 MHz for SP1 Turbo).
- Single-GPU Ethereum proofs (~35 seconds end-to-end vs. 50–160 GPUs required by alternatives).
These aren’t just numbers—they signal a future where:
✔ Chains coordinate and settle in real time.
✔ Developers build client apps with native proof generation.
✔ Ecosystems benefit from cheaper, decentralized infrastructure.
Unmatched Performance: By the Numbers
Independent benchmarks confirm Airbender’s dominance in two key phases:
Base Proof Generation:
- H100 GPU: 21.8 MHz (vs. 3.45 MHz for SP1 Turbo).
- L4 GPU: 8.5 MHz (vs. 1.1 MHz for RiscZero).
STARK Recursion (End-to-End):
- 2.5–4x faster than SP1 Turbo.
- 8.5–11x faster than RiscZero.
👉 Reproduce these benchmarks yourself using our open-source Fibonacci example.
Breakthrough: Near-Real-Time Ethereum Proofs on One GPU
By integrating Airbender with ZKsync OS, we achieved:
✅ 17-second Ethereum block proofs (pre-recursion).
✅ 35-second end-to-end proofs (with recursion).
Why This Matters:
- Existing solutions require 50–160 GPUs for similar results.
- Airbender democratizes proof generation—enabling home-based Ethereum validation.
Use Cases Beyond ZKsync
Airbender’s RISC-V zkVM and open-source design unlock:
🔹 Cross-chain interoperability (e.g., Abstract, Sophon, GRVT).
🔹 ZK-native dApps (gaming, identity, decentralized AI).
🔹 Cost-efficient proofs ($0.0001 per tx—10x cheaper than Boojum).
👉 Build with Airbender today—testnet demos available!
Technical Deep Dive
How Airbender Works
Execution Model:
- RISC-V 32I+M instruction set.
- 4M-cycle processing blocks stitched via memory parameters.
Proof Pipeline:
- Witness commitment → Lookup/Memory → STARK polynomials → DEEP construction → FRI.
Key Optimizations:
- Mersenne31 field arithmetic.
- RAM-backed registers.
- Custom precompiles (e.g., Blake3, big-integer math).
FAQ
Q: How does Airbender compare to SP1 Hypercube?
A: Airbender matches SP1’s performance using 1 GPU vs. 50+ GPUs, thanks to deeper stack integration.
Q: Can I use Airbender for non-EVM chains?
A: Yes! Its RISC-V zkVM supports arbitrary programs—from WASM to custom VMs.
Q: When will Airbender launch on mainnet?
A: Currently in public testnet; mainnet upgrades follow after audits.
Acknowledgments
Credits to RiscZero, StarkWare, and Polygon for pioneering RISC-V zkVMs, STARKs, and Mersenne31 optimizations.
Explore the codebase to dive deeper!
ZKsync: Scaling Ethereum with Zero-Knowledge. 🚀