Introducing Stwo: A New Open-Source Prover by StarkWare to Boost Performance on the Starknet Network
StarkWare, a leading innovator in zero-knowledge (ZK) technology and scalable blockchain solutions, unveiled Stwo at ETHDenver on Thursday. This new open-source prover is designed to optimize proof generation on the Starknet network, ultimately reducing keyboards and transaction fees for end-users.
Significant Progress in StarkWare’s Scaling Initiatives
The introduction of Stwo is a pivotal step forward for StarkWare in its ongoing efforts to scale the Starknet blockchain network. Oren Katz, COO of StarkWare, explained that Stwo would unlock new scaling possibilities by being open-source from the beginning, allowing anyone to run the prover and access its codebase. As a result, developers worldwide can implement Stark-based systems more efficiently. Both Starknet and Starknet app chains stand to gain from the anticipated decrease in keyboards and processing costs due to Stwo’s capabilities.
A Continuous Pursuit of Transparency and Community Collaboration
The launch of Stwo follows StarkWare’s previous decision to open-source its Stone prover in August. Renamed “StoneTwo,” this new prover is the result of StarkWare’s dedication to transparency and community collaboration. Starknet app chains currently utilizing Stone are expected to transition to Stwo, taking advantage of its benefits.
A Rapidly Evolving Blockchain Landscape
This announcement comes on the heels of StarkWare and polygon’s reveal of Circle STARKs, a new cryptographic proof type intended to speed up transactions and lower costs for zero-knowledge rollups. Katz emphasized the quick implementation of Circle STARKs in Stwo as a testament to StarkWare’s agility and innovation within the blockchain technology sector.
Starknet’s Position in the ZK Rollup Market
With StarkWare’s Starknet, a ZK-rollup layer 2 network, currently holding the fourth position by total value locked, according to L2Beat data, this move towards full open-sourcing aligns with StarkWare’s vision for a decentralized, permissionless blockchain network. Starknet is the largest ZK rollup by TVL among its competitors in this space.