Ethereum ZK Major Upgrade: The Mainnet will natively integrate zkEVM, is Layer2 ZK Rollup facing a reshaping?

As the price of Ethereum (ETH) successfully breaks through the psychological barrier of $3000, the Ethereum Foundation announced an ambitious zero-knowledge (ZK) technology upgrade roadmap through its official blog. The core of this plan is to deploy node-level zkEVM on Layer 1 within a year, marking a key step for Ethereum towards full zero-knowledge proof adoption. This significant transformation will not only reshape Ethereum's own technology stack but may also profoundly affect the future positioning of current Layer 2 solutions that rely on ZK technology, especially the ZK Rollup projects.

1. zkEVM Node: Replacing Traditional Execution, Unifying ZK Verification Standards

According to the plan, future Ethereum verification nodes will be able to run ZK clients. The core function of these clients is to directly verify multiple proofs generated by different zkVM (zk-SNARKs), thereby completely replacing the traditional verification model that requires re-executing the entire block. This will be a paradigm shift in the blockchain consensus mechanism.

2. Set the Real-Time Proof Gold Standard: Balancing Performance and Security

Ethereum researcher Sophia Gold outlined the key objectives of the proposal: to establish a real-time zk-SNARKs standard. Specific requirements include:

• Ultra-low latency proof generation: Target latency below 10 seconds, ensuring efficient verification.
• Compact proof size: The size of a single proof must be limited to 300 KiB or less, reducing on-chain load.
• Military-grade security: Provides 128-bit cryptographic security strength to ensure the network is unbreakable.

The foundation firmly believes that this mainnet ZK integration will revolutionarily enhance Ethereum's scalability (TPS), security, and censorship resistance, while making the underlying protocol itself more friendly to ZK technology ("zk-friendly").

3. Long-term Vision: Build "Full Stack ZK" Blockchain

Ethereum clearly outlines its long-term technical vision: to build a blockchain network where zk-SNARKs penetrate every level. From signature aggregation at the consensus layer to privacy features driven by client proofs, ZK technology will become the core infrastructure of future Ethereum.

4. Overview of ZK Technology: The Cryptographic Cornerstone of Privacy and Scalability

Zero-knowledge proofs, as a powerful cryptographic tool, allow the Prover to prove the truth of a statement to the Verifier without revealing any specific information. This concept originated from theoretical research in the 1980s and has since become a key technology for blockchain privacy protection (such as Zcash), scalability improvements (such as ZK Rollup), and authentication.

5. Layer2 ZK Rollup: Opportunity or Challenge?

The direct integration of ZK technology into the Ethereum mainnet will undoubtedly strongly promote the large-scale application of ZK, but it also raises a critical question: does this pose a survival threat to independent Layer2 ZK Rollup projects?

• Potential Challenges (Forced Transformation): As the Ethereum Foundation begins to standardize the proof system and set official technical benchmarks, startups focusing on ZK technology may face the risk of being marginalized. If they cannot closely follow and adapt to Ethereum's new framework, their market survival space may be squeezed.
• Official Position and Opportunities (Ecological Synergy): The Ethereum Foundation emphasizes that its plan aims to promote collaboration rather than stifle competition. They hope to unite various zkVM projects to jointly advance towards a unified "real-time proof" goal, opening the door to collaborative development for the entire industry. The Foundation believes that mainnet ZKification will establish Ethereum's leadership position in the field of zk-SNARKs.

Industry Impact Analysis: ZK Startups Need to Adjust Strategic Positioning

The ZK integration of Ethereum Layer 1 may prompt startups focused on ZK technology to reassess their business strategies. Direct competition with the Ethereum mainnet may not be the best approach. A more feasible path might be to focus on developing tools, infrastructure, and value-added services that are deeply compatible with existing and future standards of Ethereum, becoming a key component in the thriving Ethereum ZK ecosystem (such as developing more efficient provers, dedicated co-processors, developer tools, or specific application ZK solutions). ZK Rollup projects may need to highlight their unique value in application customization, specific scenario optimization, or cross-chain interoperability, forming a complementary rather than substitutive relationship with the mainnet.