Ethereum is inching closer to its ambitious goal of 10,000 transactions per second (TPS) thanks to a new scaling technology called Pico Prism. Developed by Ethereum scaling firm Brevis, Pico Prism utilizes a state-of-the-art zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine (zkEVM) for real-time proving, enabling the verification of blocks using consumer-grade hardware.
Key Takeaways
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Pico Prism achieves 99.6% real-time proving of Ethereum blocks in under 12 seconds.
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The technology leverages consumer GPUs, making block validation more accessible.
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This advancement is a significant step towards scaling Ethereum by 100x and enabling phone-based validation.
Real-Time Proving Revolutionized
Pico Prism has demonstrated the ability to prove nearly all Ethereum blocks in real-time, a critical step for scaling the network. In a recent test, the technology achieved 99.6% real-time proving in under 12 seconds, with an average proof time of 6.9 seconds using 64 Nvidia RTX 5090 graphics cards. Real-time proving (RTP) means generating a cryptographic proof of a block's correct execution faster than new blocks are produced.
Brevis
This breakthrough addresses a fundamental bottleneck in Ethereum's current validation process, where every validator re-executes every transaction. Pico Prism's approach allows a single prover to generate a proof, which can then be verified by others in milliseconds, significantly reducing computational overhead and the need for expensive supercomputers.
The Path to 10,000 TPS
The Ethereum roadmap outlines a transition where validators will shift from re-executing transactions to verifying zero-knowledge proofs (ZK-proofs). This change is expected to enable the base layer to reach the 10,000 TPS target. Analysts suggest that at the current pace of development, this milestone could be achieved by April 2029.
The upcoming Fusaka upgrade, scheduled for December, is anticipated to further simplify real-time proving through EIP-7825, which will cap per-transaction gas usage and allow for more parallel proving via subblocks. By the end of the year, it's projected that several teams will be able to prove every L1 EVM block on a 16-GPU cluster using less than 10kW of power.
A More Decentralized Future
Experts believe that ZK technologies like Pico Prism are crucial for Ethereum's future, enabling it to scale to meet global demand while maintaining its core principles of trustworthiness and decentralization. Ethereum is transforming into a zk-chain, Adams said, explaining that Layer 1 will run global DeFi with large blocks at a speed of 10,000 transactions per second and nodes operating on mobile phones, while Layer 2 will run everything else.
Sources
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Ethereum Breakthrough Will Enable Massive Scaling With Consumer GPUs, Cointelegraph.
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Pico Prism proves 99.6% of ETH blocks in real time: 10K TPS gets closer, FXStreet.
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New Scaling Technology Brings Ethereum Closer to 10,000 TPS, ForkLog.
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Pico Prism Turbocharges Ethereum Scaling: 10,000 TPS Within Reach?, TronWeekly.
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