Cardano has reached a new milestone with the deployment of its first zero-knowledge (ZK) smart contract on the mainnet, a step that could redefine scalability and privacy in its ecosystem.
The transaction, carried out by Input Output, Cardano’s core development team, utilized the Halo 2 proving system for zero-knowledge verification. The initial transaction locked funds, while a subsequent one, verified through a ZK proof generated by Halo 2, successfully unlocked them. The unlocking process came with a modest transaction fee of 2.03 ADA (approximately $1.90).
Halo 2, a zkSNARK system developed by the Electric Coin Company, eliminates the need for a trusted setup and enables cryptographic proofs that verify computations without exposing underlying data.
In a detailed explanation, Input Output underscored the significance of recursive proofs – one of Halo 2’s standout features – which enhance scalability and interoperability by breaking complex computations into manageable segments.
Input Output acknowledged that while this is a groundbreaking step, further development is required to fully integrate ZK capabilities into the Cardano ecosystem. The integration of zero-knowledge proofs is expected to boost scalability, improve efficiency, and enhance security for the blockchain.
Development trends across major blockchain networks show Cardano pulling ahead in core contributions, while Ethereum continues to dominate the broader ecosystem despite a drop in participation.
Ink, the Layer-2 network incubated by Kraken and built on Optimism’s Superchain framework, is suddenly buzzing with on-chain activity.
Solana is making its next major move—this time, not through memecoins, but national partnerships.
Lion Group Holding Ltd. has raised $600 million from investment firm ATW Partners to fuel a major shift into decentralized finance.