Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin says the race to make zero-knowledge proofs fast enough for Ethereum is over, and that security must now take priority. His comment followed ZKsync’s claim of real-time proving on a single graphics card.
Across 7,200 consecutive mainnet blocks, ZKsync’s new Airbender Prime prover delivered 99% of proofs in under 10 seconds. However, the figures come from ZKsync’s own evaluation.
Why does faster proving matter for Ethereum?
Ethereum validators today re-run every transaction to check a block. Zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs, which confirm a computation ran correctly without repeating it, would let them check a short proof instead.
That shift could cut the work validators do per block. Ethereum adds a block every 12 seconds, and ZKsync says no block in its sample took that long to prove.
ZKsync says ETHproofs, a public prover leaderboard, ranks Airbender Prime first on average proving time. It also argues the lower hardware bar opens proving to more institutions and independent operators.
“At this point, I consider the battle for speed to be definitively won, and the top priority for zkEVMs should shift fully to security.”
Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum co-founder, on X
Beyond speed, Buterin named three tests for zkEVMs, the systems that prove Ethereum’s execution. They must match the Ethereum specification, cap prover cost against block gas, and rest on a sound proof system.
He wants each formally verified, meaning mathematically proven rather than only tested.
Does a faster prover move Ethereum’s price?
Not directly. Airbender Prime is a ZKsync tool rather than an Ethereum protocol change. It leaves the supply, fees, and staking rewards of Ethereum (ETH) untouched.
Instead, any price effect would more likely come through sentiment on the roadmap, alongside macro conditions and fund flows.
Still, the larger stake is credibility. ZKsync pitches the technology to banks, arguing a hacked server still could not get a rule-breaking ledger update verified.
Therefore, a fast prover with a flaw would defeat that purpose. Formal verification and audits may now decide which zkEVMs Ethereum can trust.
