Polygon’s zkEVM Layer 2 set for mainnet beta release in March

Polygon is set to launch its new Layer 2 scaling solution, zkEVM, on March 27 with the aim of expanding the scaling capabilities of the Ethereum network.

This zero-knowledge or ZK-Rollup scaling solution is expected to perform off-chain computations on a secondary layer, prioritizing security and enabling faster and cheaper transactions.

According to Polygon, its zkEVM is equivalent to Ethereum’s Virtual Machine, meaning that the network is expected to support the same code as Ethereum. This allows developers to onboard apps from Ethereum and use them on Polygon’s zkEVM network without making significant changes.

Polygon has been working on the development of zkEVM for over a year, and it has gone through two third-party security audits. It has also passed 100% of the Ethereum test vectors that apply to a zkEVM, making it the gold standard for EVM-equivalence.

Although Layer 2 solutions like Arbitrum and Optimism have seen growth, zero-knowledge Layer 2 solutions currently lack Ethereum compatibility.

Polygon zkEVM, Starknet, zkSync, and Scroll have fiercely competed over the past year to develop a functioning ZK-based Layer 2 that can support Ethereum apps, with none of them releasing a product for public use.

However, the launch of Polygon’s zkEVM could change this, though there could be last-minute development challenges. In October, Polygon’s competitor zkSync released a zkEVM solution, but it was restricted for internal use only.