StarkWare debuts open-source zero-knowledge prover at ETHDenver

StarkWare has unveiled Stwo, a new open-sourced prover based on zero-knowledge (ZK) technology to enhance proving latency and reduce transaction fees on its Starknet network. This development, revealed on Thursday at ETHDenver, is designed to generate cryptographic proofs more efficiently, a critical component in compressing transactions on Starknet. By optimizing proof generation, Stwo is expected to decrease StarkWare’s processing costs, subsequently lowering fees for end-users.

Ongoing developments in StarkWare’s ecosystem

The introduction of Stwo marks a significant step in StarkWare’s efforts to scale its blockchain network. According to Oren Katz, StarkWare’s COO, Stwo is set to unlock new scaling possibilities, being open-source from its inception. This move allows anyone to run the prover and access its codebase, facilitating the implementation of Stark-based systems by developers worldwide. Starknet and Starknet app chains are poised to benefit from reduced latency and processing costs over time, thanks to Stwo’s capabilities.

Stwo’s launch follows StarkWare’s previous move to open-source its Stone prover in August. The new prover, named through a combination of “Stone” and “Two,” reflects StarkWare’s continuous commitment to transparency and community collaboration. Starknet app chains that currently utilize Stone are expected to transition to Stwo, reaping its benefits.

This announcement also comes closely after StarkWare and Polygon revealed Circle STARKs, a new cryptographic proof type designed to expedite transactions and reduce costs for zero-knowledge rollups. Katz also highlighted the rapid implementation of Circle STARKs in Stwo as a testament to StarkWare’s agility and innovation in blockchain technology.

StarkWare’s Starknet, a ZK-rollup layer 2 network, is currently the fourth-largest by total value locked, with Starknet being the largest ZK rollup by TVL, according to L2Beat data. Overall, this move towards full open-sourcing aligns with StarkWare’s vision for a decentralized, permissionless blockchain network.