Don’t get me flawed, each are nice applied sciences and each are helpful in lots of conditions. Nevertheless, the Ethereum roadmap modified solely and is now relying absolutely on L2s for scalability, and appears like most L2s are funding ZK improvement far more than optimistic improvement.
This isn’t to say that optimistic tech is unhealthy, it’s simply that zero-knowledge has a slight edge plus has much more room for progress.
Zero-knowledge proofs are typically quicker than optimistic proofing, in addition they cheaper and are WAY extra non-public.
The best way that ZK proofs work is thru offering solely the required fundamental info wanted for the transaction to be validated with out having to reveal any non-public or delicate info relating to the id of the person.
That is merely not attainable with optimistic proofs. It is just a function that zero-knowledge proofs can execute which explains why L2s are so centered on ZK.
Then there’s the truth that ZK tech has extra room for progress in comparison with optimistic tech.
One might arguably say that optimistic tech has neared its peak in improvement whereas zero-knowledge improvement remains to be getting began.
We’re at the moment seeing a battle between SNARK and STARK applied sciences with each offering favorable options relying on the scenario.
Some L2s (specifically Polygon) make the most of each.
Actually, one of many major causes I like Polygon a lot is that they not solely make the most of SNARKs and STARKs, however in addition they make the most of optimistic tech together with ZK tech
-
Miden (zkSTARK)
-
Zero (recursive SNARK)
-
Hermez (zkSNARK)
-
Avail (Validium)
-
Dusk (Optimistic)
With all of that being mentioned, I nonetheless suppose that optimistic tech will all the time be wanted on Ethereum and in gained’t be phased out.
There’ll all the time be conditions the place it is smart to make use of optimistic tech.
I simply suppose that the primary focus will quickly begin shifting towards ZK as we see greater than extra L2s compete for higher and quicker improvement.
Eitherway, the brand new Ethereum roadmap will give L2s an enormous increase in throughput so it actually doesn’t matter relating to scalability. All I actually care about is privateness, which ZK positively takes the sting for.